nltaff
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Re: New to old gardener-Straw bales?

The straw bale idea belongs to Joel Karsten, who published a book detailing all in 2015. Also, there are several youtube videos people have done showing the conditioning process.

After reading the short 2008 thread here, I can understand why the commenters decided that it was all too much bother. Obviously, they can stand on a shovel and have it sink gently into the earth. I grew up only 30 miles north of here, and what a difference those miles make in the soil. We moved here in 2001, and this is my soil:
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I have a very narrow, 4" shovel and a very heavy 5' digging rod (used by railroad workers to move heavy rail) to break ground here. If I buy a gallon perennial to plant, it takes about half an hour to dig the hole and I discard a 5 gallon bucket of rocks that came out of the hole. The soil is fertile and (obviously) well-draining, but not at all yielding. The nice asparagus bed shown above was 4 years in the making. First, I dug out all the grass, pulled out the rocks and tilled it with a tiller. Meanwhile, grew tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and basil in pots on our huge deck. At the end of each season, I would dump the soil from the containers into the asparagus bed. Another couple of years later, we again, extracted rocks and tilled.

So, for me, starting the straw bale garden was a lot easier than digging an 8' x 12' extension to my garden. The advantages were clear:
-landscape cloth and weight to kill the grass over the area
-a garden to plant this year
-a pile of composted straw at the end of the year that can be tilled into the soil

I can understand why for some, straw bales seem like more bother than they're worth. But for me, it seemed like a very easy no-brainer!

nltaff
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So in one week, we've gone from 70/20s to 90/60s for daytime/overnight temps. Many of my asparagus spears were frozen week before last. The straw bale garden is planted and most of the rest of the tomato, pepper, beet crops are scattered around in rolling pots (veg on wheels).
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Had to use lots of umbrellas in the planting process due to the heat. Also, we've had no rain (even tho the weather maps show globs of green passing over. I completely clogged the whole house water filter, so everything is on rations now.
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KitchenGardener
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Amazing what a difference a week makes! Thank you for the detailed recipe for cooking the straw bales. I love the idea for my driveway, but I'll have to figure out where I get the straw bales and such. In the meantime, my backyard garden is plugging along. Anyway, so happy that you are doing so well and have found such an excellent work around for having such difficult soil.

nltaff
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Thanks for the good thoughts! As I use my various "tools", I have to laugh because they probably aren't normally found at your typical garden center. I have a full size pickax, a reciprocating saw with a pruner blade attached for edging and for splitting perennials, and of course, the five foot digging bar. I should take some pictures of my tools. The array would simply prove that if there's a will, there's always a way.
Some of the pictures of the bales in Karsten's book are pretty interesting, as the bales can actually be stacked and arranged. Also, they can be planted on the sides. I don't normally bother with marigolds and such, but I'm toying with planting some scented geraniums and marigolds on the sides of these. I'll wait til the holiday is over and see what's left on the plant tables at my favorite farm stand. Happy planting!

nltaff
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Well! Everybody's been so busy these past few weeks. With most of the veggies in pots or in the SBG, we've concentrated on tidying up the place. Finally have some blossoms on some of the plants and got so busy emptying the greenhouse that I forgot to start some squash. Threw a few seeds in a couple small pots and put them in the increasingly hot greenhouse. They popped right up!
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SBG tomatoes and peppers seem happy.
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First pepper blossom.
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Trying one squash in the side of a bale.
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Strawberries are fenced off from critters, as they are starting to get ripe.
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The bagged greenhouse beets are growing next to the beet seedlings.
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The first batch of basil is in 4" pots. They'll have to come inside for the next 3 nights as overnight low 40s are predicted.
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Momma, the buff colored kitty, did NOT wait for the catnip to be planted in the ground!

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applestar
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Hahaha loved the last photo! Caught in the act! :lol:

Everything looks great! That squash in the side is a fun idea 8)

nltaff
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Hi Applestar, Been following your '16 progress pictures and I love the look of your spiral. I'm also jealous of all the bounty you keep harvesting, as you are definitely much warmer where you are (not so far from CNY). Picked my first strawberry yesterday, and had a great salad with lettuce, beet greens, last of the greenhouse tomatoes and a few basil leaves. I thought I posted a pic of the asparagus bed with its new gift of bush beans, but I guess I was too embarrassed about the weeds. Got that weeded out yesterday after planting a newly arrived bare-root hedge. I don't get too creative abut the veggies, but I do have some creative landscape experiments. Will have to go over to that forum with some pics. So far, I'd do this straw bale thing again. Had to cover up last night as lows predicted in low 40s. Woke up at 3am (not unusual) but first thought was to go fetch the basil off the deck (it was covered with 2 layer of old bedsheet). Safely inside now! Is it really June? Doesn't feel like it.

nltaff
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Finally! After a week of 60s days with 15-20mph winds and 40s or lower nights, this second stint of early spring weather has broken. Today, it is 84 (40, again, at 5am), but the lows for a good week and a half to come are predicted to be 55 or better! My basil will finally be happy. Took the cover completely off the SBG, and the tomatoes and peppers are finally getting the full strength of the sun. That strawberry bed will be happier as well, since it has been living in the shade of that cover for mornings, anyway. Everything wanted water as it heated up today, and will probably want water again, first thing in the morning. Will update pictures tomorrow.

nltaff
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OK, so I didn't get back on the 16th. Since then, we have had no real rain worth talking about and I've employed every hose line timer I own trying to keep it all watered! Suddenly yesterday I grabbed my phone and took a bunch of pictures. Here's the July 1 SBG.
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So, that steak tomato I grew in the greenhouse-when I picked the last of them and cut all the branches I felt bad that I was tossing a pretty healthy plant. I took one of the branches and stuck it in a jug of water. It quickly shot out a mass of roots and this (above) was the first tomato to go into the SBG. The yellowed leaves on the bottom are old growth, but the new growth on top seems green and healthy. Not so much for the peppers.
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Compared to the potted peppers:
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The tomatoes have done well in the SBG and seem to be progressing nicely; however, the peppers seem to be taking forever to grow. Just flowered in the last couple of days and still the plants don't seem large enough to support the fruit. Since the potted ones are doing so well, I can only conclude that the overnight temps out in the straw are keeping the peppers from taking off. Since mid-month, the lows have all been mid 50s with the odd 40s thrown in here and there.

The blueberries are coming back from their deer trauma winter before last. The browse, coupled with the fact that they haven't had a good prune for years really took a toll on them. We cut back a little this year and will do so again and hopefully, they will begin producing the incredible volume they originally gave us.
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The good thing about drought is that if you don't water the lawn (ha, in name only), you don't have to mow the weeds as often. Happy growing!

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applestar
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You've been taking good care of them -- Everything is looking great despite the temp issues!

I've had my own set of problems in the garden and much of the summer stuff are delayed, but there's always something to harvest. :wink:

I can see from looking at your blueberries that my Berry bushes are definitely suffering from insufficient sunlight and nutrient loss since my neighbor's white pines have grown so big and are grieving WAY over our side of the fence. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and consider relocating them, I think. Do you net yours against the birds? Pesky catbirds here are a constant threat and annoyance.

nltaff
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Thanks, Applestar! I've not put up net while the berries are ripening; however, the plastic posts screwed onto the wooden fence posts are to support netting I put up last winter to keep the deer out. Surprisingly, we've had those bushes for about 10-15 years, and the birds have, for the most part, left the berries alone. We lose a few berries to bugs and occasionally, I see bird damage, but until the '14-'15 winter, they've enjoyed an unbothered existence (including needed pruning). I've always just hated to prune (anything), but I'm beginning to get it-healthier for most plants.

I did put a net over the strawberries, once they were established, because I also had a catbird eyeing the developing berries. In the end, we had one harvest, about a quart and a half or so, and left the fence down one night. Someone cleared out the bed overnight, so I recovered it and the everbearers are now recouping. I need to crawl in there, weed, and fertilize. :D

nltaff
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Started 6 artichoke seeds last January. Four survived to be potted up (deep 4"x4") and they spent their 6-8 week "winter" in our porch refrigerator (at a consistent 34 degrees). The four plants were placed outside in the ground on or near Memorial Day. They aren't stemming up very fast, and the smallest one already produced a small, 1-2" bud. We actually ate that one bud, and the plant is still growing. In reading about artichokes, it is stated that they are heavy feeders so I first fed them miracle grow bloom booster (15-30-15). On Thursday, I decided to side dress with blood meal. I hand water these 4 plants daily, so Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they were fine. Then, yesterday, when I went to water, I discovered that the largest plant was dug out on one side (nearly 6" of surrounding soil gone! I really hate that I can't use blood meal and bone meal around here without some critter coming along and digging in it. I even lost a Jobe's tree stake earlier this spring! :evil:
Here's the largest plant:
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and here's the same plant, roots revealed:
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At 4:30 yesterday, it was 49 degrees. By 10:30, it was 90 degrees. After watering everything thoroughly, this is the way to spend the holiday!
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Hope everyone had a happy 4th!

nltaff
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Wow, the time just really flies. The days are too short, with so much to do. The SBG has been crying for me to tidy it up for more than a couple of weeks now.
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Took about an hour, but now it is somewhat better.
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So frustrating, I'd just finished mowing the east lawn (that's where the SBG is) and was moving on when the drive belt on the lawn mower broke (especially frustrating because lawn mower and tractor both went in for maintenance in April). So we replaced the belt (quite an ordeal) and ran it for about a half hour and the belt slipped off again! We are thinking the belt we bought might not have been the right size-they can be slipped in and out of those sleeves by customers, perhaps switched to lower the cost? Anyway, "Cubby" was promptly loaded on the trailer and carted off to a different repair shop.

Finally got rain last week on Thursday and Friday. Five inches accumulated in that little bucket, but it didn't do as much good as I'd hoped. It's been so dry for so long.
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Had some warmer nights last week (in the 60s). Those artichokes are beginning to grow stems and chokes! I'll definitely get more posts in the ground around them so they can be covered in Sept. for optimum longevity.
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rainbowgardener
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Beautiful! You are in zone 5 and you can grow artichokes!? Do you bring them in for the winter? I used to be in zone 6 and never thought I could grow them. One of the things that I am looking forward to trying now that I am in zone 7.

nltaff
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Hi RG, I decided to try. Last night's dinner (two grocery store chokes) reminded me why. I planted seeds in January and after I transplanted them and let the plants get established I put them in my porch refrigerator consistently maintained at 34 degrees. This is Imperial Star, but High Mowing Organic Seeds has a shorter vernalization variety, Tavor, that I might try next year. Also, Aran is another variety. I got directions online: growingwithplants.com/2013/01/mastering-artichokes-from-seed.html I do not plan to bring them inside, but I figure I've got nothing to lose if I cover them heavily and see what happens in spring.

nltaff
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So now that I KNOW the artichokes are going to thrive, I decided to get after the encroaching weeds.
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I got after them early yesterday morning-goldenrod, ragweed, dock, aster, and lots of sheep sorrel! And lots of rocks. I'll post the cleaned up pictures later. (and fix the sideways picture later, too). Now fixed.

Picked up the lawnmower and got lost for a strangely long time at a nursery :oops: ! Wanted to buy some mushroom compost, (thanks for the tip, Lindsey) but they didn't have any so I bought "(something) Gold" which is horse manure composted for 7 years. Looking for organic nitrogen for these babies that won't attract every fox, raccoon, skunk or coy-dog within two counties.
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They sure took their time getting started.
Last edited by nltaff on Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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rainbowgardener
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Wow! Now that's the way to weed! :)

Don't worry about the sideways pic. It just does that sometimes. If people click on the picture to see it better, it will right itself.

But sure, let us see how great it looked all cleaned up! :)

nltaff
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Not so great yet. That is the top of a short, steep border that I wish was covered with some kind of attractive, weed choking ground cover (remains from the grading for the barn). Can't mow it. It could be a sweet little border, but it's not there yet. And all those weeds came out by hand with a pitch fork, I just used the rock bucket as my weed bucket (why tote it twice, no?). Anyway, the artichokes are along the edge of a well-traveled path at the top of a weed-infested garden.

nltaff
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Most recent pic of the Straw Bale jungle.
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The 'steak branch that came out of the greenhouse (it was almost 3' tall when planted here) has some small, ripening tomatoes on it. I picked three yesterday to give to my neighbor. More are coming and we already know that they taste great.
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The artichokes are not in the SBG, but they are also not in containers, so I keep putting their progress here. They are really taking off now.
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They look happier, weeded and mulched with some straw.
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nltaff
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On Monday morning, we had an absolute deluge for about half an hour, 45 minutes. It rained hard again in the afternoon and again overnight. So, some of the tomatoes in the SBG cracked.
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More troubling is the state of the peppers in the SBG. While they still are small plants, they are growing. However, the peppers are never going to get a chance to get to the ripe stage.
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I've got 4-5 yogurt cups with beer for slug bait, and I throw out numerous slugs from each every other day. I'm thinking the slugs are breaking into the peppers, but the tomatoes were up high, and look kind of bird-pecked. I'm culling the damaged peppers, hoping that the plants will produce more, higher up on the plants. I might try spraying the pepper plants with some garlic, soap, cayenne, oil, water mix spray. Some of the first Italian frying peppers had holes like this, but now they are untouched. Slugs must not like them as well as the bells.

Funny story about "slug bait"...My husband brews beer and a few years ago, he made a batch neither of us liked much. I hunted online and found a picture of a slug in a tuxedo, complete with top hat. I used that to make labels for the bottles and we took the "Slug Bait" beer on a club camping trip. Everyone wanted to try his beer and the consensus was that Slug Bait was the best (except for US, of course).

All the SBG tomatoes are getting huge and heavy. The ones in bags in the middle are bending the center hanging rod. Had to do a lot of tying up and stabilizing today! I'll try to take a new picture tomorrow.

nltaff
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Latest pics of the SBG. It is really turning into quite the jungle. The Beefsteak Heirloom is beginning to ripen.
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And now there's something worse than slugs...
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:roll:

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applestar
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What IS that black bug? I saw one the other day, didn't know what it was so left it. Haven't seen it since.

nltaff
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I half expected you to beat me to it. Too tired yesterday to search, but that's an American Carrion Beetle. A decomposer. Beneficial for the environment, but not too sure how it helps the garden (unless a mammal dies at the foot of a tomato plant). I did pick up a few facts, tho. The beetle eats carrion, yes, but it also consumes maggots and larvae of other insects. So...I suppose that's somewhat helpful.

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applestar
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Thanks for finding out :()

told2b
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Amer Carrion Beetle2.jpg

Thanks for the ID.

nltaff
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Wow, that shot says, "I take no prisoners!"

nltaff
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The straw bale jungle as of today. Some reeeealy good-tasting tomatoes are coming out of there!
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I had very low expectations for the heirloom beefsteaks I planted. I figured with no "credentials" (so to speak) after the name, it would be susceptible to every fungus and virus and bug that came along. But, just look at those leaves! It is, by far, the healthiest plant I've got.
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So, you know how everyone seems to have left-over plants after planting out in spring? Well, I took pity on mine about second week in June. As much as it pained me (literally-had to break out the pick-axe and the digging bar), I planted the left-overs out behind the barn with a healthy handful of tomato-tone. I rarely speak to them, as they are on a timed sprinkler. One of them was an heirloom beefsteak, and guess what it said to me today? All I can say is that the previous owners long ago had a pony, and I'm sure this spot is an area where the pony lived, hung out, grazed, pooped, etc.
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applestar
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Looks like success to me! Image

..but that pvc -- is it being pulled down by the weight of the tomato plant? Wow. I have heard some people use full length re-bar (or a thinner pvc or tubing) inside of the outer pvc for extra support.

nltaff
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Yeah, if I do this again I'm thinking steel conduit. We do have a pipe bender, but I'm not really good at using it. High of 65, Monday with an overnight low of 49. I'm thinking it's gonna need a blanket.

nltaff
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Sorry, applestar, Thank you for the compliment. While the tomatoes are growing gangbusters, the peppers did poorly. And the few peppers I did get were damaged by slugs, birds or bugs. Probably shouldn't have mixed the fruits in there. The tomatoes very quickly dwarfed the pepper plants. Thanks for the "thumbs up"!

nltaff
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Got up this morning to find the temps hovering at 70! I immediately went out to sniff the blooming nicotiana all around the deck. So (per post above) the predicted high for tomorrow is only 65, and the low is 49?!? Just don't understand it, but I guess this is why.
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Last year, the tomatoes I planted in the asparagus garden (3 Black Krim) suddenly died overnight just about this same time (mid-late August). Never dreamed it was because of a chilly overnight temp. Anybody jump in here, do you think I should put that big plastic cover on now? I planned on re-installing it eventually, certainly by early Sept. or so. It does let in enough light for decent growth, it just means that I have to roll up the walls every morning, roll them down every (cold predicted) night.



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