Hay and Straw Bale Gardening

[Eugene]

Talking about gardens and gardening today with neighbor boys. Eldest told me about his uncle, who sells at farmers market, planting tomatoes in straw bales. I searched the web. Surprised at the amount of available information.

Question. Has anyone tried this method of raising vegatables?

[midmo]

I tried it one time. I put two pepper plant per bale (with about half gallon of dirt in each hole on each end) it took a lot of water and it seemed to make the plant grow taller and had to keep staking them. Didn't get much off the plants. Maybe if I was home all the time to water more during the day I could have gotten more.
Ron in Mid Missouri

[TJG]

I've heard about potatoes being set on the ground and then covered with straw. I've never done it.
Todd

[TractorChick]

hmmm... that's a really different concept to a garden. Not sure how that would work too well but it's definitely interesting. I have all of my plants in big buckets and they do really well

[KETCHAM]

Any end result???? Did ya try it??? Kevin

[SONNY]

All you would get here would be a VOLE invasion!---Thats why I cant use mulch (NOT that I want to), but anything on the ground is open invite to them and they destroy everything near it! thanks; sonny

[Sam C]

Our whole 1 acre garden uses the hay and straw bale gardening method and it works just fine.