Most gardeners in Hays County have soil containing compacted limestone, rock or clay. This makes raised-bed gardening appealing even though it still requires labor and the expense of materials. Straw bales are an option that requires little weeding, and because of their height, they provide some protection from pests and disease and are easier on the joints. If you choose straw bales as your raised-bed container and plant medium, there are four stages in the process, including planning, preparing, conditioning and then planting.
When planning what seeds or transplants you will be growing, be sure to know the suggested spacing and how large the plant will become to determine the number of bales to buy. The rectangular bale is approximately 3 X 2 X 1.5 feet. Obtain your straw bale three weeks before the recommended planting time of the seeds or transplants you use. Buy a straw and not a hay bale. Hay is made from grass (like alfalfa, fescue or clover) that is grown as a food source for livestock, but hay should not be used for gardening as there is a risk of herbicides and seeds being present. In addition, hay is more expensive and heavier than straw. Straw is left over after hay is harvested and is usually free of unwanted chemicals and seeds. However, you can evaluate your straw for herbicides by mixing straw with potting soil and planting bean seeds. If healthy sprouts germinate, the straw is good to use.
Once the straw bales are procured, the next step is preparing the bale for use. Place the bale where it will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight. Luckily, the straw will provide a cooler environment for the plant’s roots than regular soil. The foundation for the bale can be concrete, gravel, sand, cardboard or a wooden pallet. Place the bale with the cut side up and string on the sides. This enables water and nutrients to infiltrate more easily. If the straw on the sides starts to come loose, rewrap it tightly with string. Now, the 15-day conditioning process will begin. Conditioning is to straw what composting is to organic materials. Both promote active bacteria growth to decompose nutrients so plants can easily absorb them. Straw is rich in carbon, so it needs nitrogen and water for bacteria to thrive and do their magic. The first four days are the soaking period. Remember when watering your bales that they can hold three to five gallons of water. You do not want to water so much that the bale is sitting in a pool of runoff. However, the internal bale should always be kept moist throughout the process.
The next two weeks will consist of adding fertilizer and water. On days five to nine, add just nitrogen and water to your bales. Nitrogen can come from blood meal (12-0-0), urea meal (46-0-0), ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or ammonia sulfate (210-0). The urea meal and ammonium nitrate are more concentrated in nitrogen so one-half cup is recommended while the other sources require one cup. Poke shallow holes into the straw top and insert the nitrogen fertilizer and water. Again, do not overwater or all the nutrients will flow out of the bale. The bale should start to “cook” as the active bacteria will heat to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. On day 10, cut the nitrogen in half and add one and a half cups of 8-8-8 or 1010-10 organic fertilizer to the bale while continuing to water. Maintain for four to five days until the bale has cooled down. The bale will require fertilization each month of one half to one cup of fertilizer and adequate watering. Other options for fertilizing can be compost or manure.
Now it’s time to plant. For seeds, place two to four inches of a growing medium on top of the bale. Potting soil with a manure and compost mixture is a good option. Follow the planting directions on the packet. Transplants will require a six-by-six-inch hole surrounded with a growing medium while following the plant's depth, watering, and spacing recommendations. Do not allow the immediate straw area of the plant to dry out. A timed drip irrigation system or soaker hose is recommended to save time and effort.
At the end of the gardening season, the straw can be recycled as mulch or as an addition to a compost bin. In addition to the practical benefits of straw bale gardening, herbs and flowers can be grown on the sides of the bales with vegetables on the top, creating a visually appealing addition to your outdoor space.
