strawbalegardens

[livinonfaith]

I wonder if how tightly the bale is packed has anything to do with water retention? My bales were packed so tightly that I had to saw holes in them to plant at all. They were packed so tight that they had to be heavily watered several days in a row at first for the water to finally penetrate to the the centers. (and now I wonder if it ever fully penetrated until I actually cut the holes.)

I had one that sat in the side yard for a couple of months in the elements. When I broke it open to use it for mulch, the bottom third was still dry. That's how packed these things were.

But once they were finally wet all the way through, they held water for a long time. They actually stayed too wet sometimes in our wet Spring. Towards the end of the season, after the bales had really begun to break down, they did need more water as they loosened up and the root systems became larger, but mine never seemed to need an excessive amount.

I don't know about adding them to your compost pile. It would depend on whether or not you had disease in your garden or had to use a lot of chemical additives. I wouldn't use my bales for compost because I had a lot of disease issues. Maybe if you used them for some other type of plant it would be okay.

[Hotwired]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Hotwired, are you using wheat or oat straw? I've never seen oat and wheat fields cut more than once. When they turn yellow they get cut
Sometimes they get grazed during the winter but I've never seen them mowed. I grew up in Colorado where they grew a lot of winter wheat.

I really don't know much about where straw comes from. The farmer I get it from has two harvests and I'm assuming it's wheat. He cuts in the spring for livestock feed and then harvest the second cut in the fall for grain. That what he calls second cut (no seeds). I'll ask him what's the crop that the straw is baled from?

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by tedln

I mentioned it in a different thread a few months ago, but I still believe "grow blocks" the size of straw bales or a little smaller than straw bales would be a good commercial product. They would utilize a mix of compressed waste materials like straw or pine needles or pine bark and a biodegradable resin as a binder and fertilizer. They would feature formed grow holes spaced properly with rock wool grow blocks for seed placement. People who don't have gardens could use them on balconies, patios, and along driveways and sidewalks or paths. Simply add seed, add water, and grow. RedBarron thought it was pretty funny, but they should work better than straw bales. I have no interest in starting a business, but someone else may want to.

Ted

Funny in a good way Ted.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Hotwired

I really don't know much about where straw comes from. The farmer I get it from has two harvests and I'm assuming it's wheat. He cuts in the spring for livestock feed and then harvest the second cut in the fall for grain. That what he calls second cut (no seeds). I'll ask him what's the crop that the straw is baled from?

Maybe oats. I used to raise oats for hay. I think it handles being grazed and cut a little more. Although, I don't know that much about raising grain.
I've just never heard of using wheat for hay before.
I've never had problems with wheat straw having weeds, either. Although, in the west and southwest it's grown in the winter and most weeds are dormant.
I also have very little problem with weeds in the alfalfa that I get around here but that's probably because they get about 12-14 cuttings a year. Alfalfa is a pretty amazing crop in Arizona.
I doubt it would work for straw bale gardening, though, since it composts so hot.

[Doug9345]

Originally Posted by livinonfaith

I wonder if how tightly the bale is packed has anything to do with water retention? My bales were packed so tightly that I had to saw holes in them to plant at all. They were packed so tight that they had to be heavily watered several days in a row at first for the water to finally penetrate to the the centers. (and now I wonder if it ever fully penetrated until I actually cut the holes.)

How much water they shed also depends on the orientation. Any bale will absorb more water from the cut ends than it will from the sides. Think in terms of roof thatching.

[raindrops27]

What are your sources for the bales I looked into this last season I guess I was not looking in the right places. Also, what were the price per bales? TIA

I buy mine at farm supply stores. I don't know if they have any on Long Island. Land is probably too expensive and property taxes on the land may be so high that a farm supply can't operate. I have also seen them at large garden nurseries. They are usually stacked in back of the nurseries and covered with black plastic or tarps. In north Texas, they usually cost between $3.00 and $5.00 per bale. Probably more than that on Long Island.

Ted

[dice]

Past thread on straw bale gardening:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ght=straw+bale