hay vs straw bale gardening

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Oct 19, 2016 - Hay vs. Using straw and compost rather than soil as beds for plants, straw bale gardens can be planted almost anywhere and are easy to design and manipulate. The first thing you need to know is that there is a difference between hay and straw. But if you’re trying to suppress weeds, do you really want this? Straw bale gardening is a great way to grow herbs and vegetables, and can also be used to grow ornamental plants. Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. >> Be sure the bales are STRAW and not hay…or you’ll be growing whatever is in that hay along with what you intended to grow.Straw is typically yellow, dry, hollow and not food for animals. When starting a new gardening technique, it’s a good idea to know which plants are going to work best using this technique. Oak straw also works well. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.”, Like to know more about this amazingly effective gardening technique? Deb you really need to read the clopyralid label and a farmer surely would know what he has sprayed on his crops as he is … They allow the gardener to … This will of course vary depending on the actual make-up of your hay, but in general terms because you are using grasses and clover, the hay bale is loaded with nitrogen, potash and potassium and many other nutrients needed to grow strong healthy vegetables. In Texas, pine straw is gathered from four species of yellow pine trees. It also has more of a sponge effect than straw does, which means that in heavy rainfalls, it buffers or slows down the amount of rain that soaks into the soil to help prevent erosion and leeching of nutrients. Well, if you replace straw with hay bales, you’ll end up growing a bale of wheat. Oct 24, 2016 - Hay vs. Used in farms as winter feed for the animals as it is highly nutritious, especially when mixed with molasses and sealed into large plastic ‘bales’ where it matures over the late Autumn.This stinks to high heaven – but the cattle love it! I have listed a few of those below, as well as a comparison between Hay and Straw bales. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! This means that it requires little in the way of fertilizer, at least until the later stages of plant growth or fruiting.The main disadvantage of the hay bale is the fact that it carries a LOT of grass seeds! Or imagine, if you will, the old saying, “I am going to hit the hay,” but substitute it with straw . Planting you’re vegetables, simply dig out a hole about plant-pot size in the surface of the bail, and insert your seedlings alongside some growing compost. How to Prepare a Hay Bale Garden. The simplest way to differentiate the two is by saying that hay is a product, whereas straw is a byproduct. They often include dried grasses with lots of seeds. Kids in particular love the excitement of pulling their own... Benefits of Coffee Grounds in the Vegetable Garden. Straw. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes "conditioned" compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Straw can also contain seeds if all of the grain was not removed, but in general it is less of a problem. DISCLOSURE: In order for me to pay my blogging expenses, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement and/or link to products mentioned on this blog. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! Bales of Straw or hay take up very little space! Then simply, link to Benefits of Coffee Grounds in the Vegetable Garden, How Do You Start A Vegetable Garden For Beginners. Straw and hay are often packaged up identically, and many garden centers—and even farmers who sell their extra bales on the roadside—use the term 'straw' whether the bale in question is straw or hay. Straw bale gardening uses a bale as the medium in which you plant. Little bending over required.4. Wheat-straw bales are ideal, though other types such as alfalfa and buckwheat, are reasonable substitutes. The benefits are awesome: It doesn’t require digging in rocky or hard soil, and it creates cheap, raised beds! Like to know more about this amazingly effective gardening technique? Truly a no-dig gardening concept!2. These seeds will of course grow alongside your plants and can mean endless pulling out of weeds, otherwise you will end up with a lovely hay bale lawn!Now of course, if you are fortunate enough to find out that the hay was harvested before the grass seeds formed, then that would be ideal. As we have seen though, this is easily made up by the addition of nutrients during the process of preparing the bale (more on this later). The bottom line to remember is … Gardening instructions for growing in straw bales and in hay bales, are basically the same with just a little more emphasis on the nutrient priming of the straw bundle. To kill weed seeds, leave bales of hay or straw outside and allow weeds to sprout and die before using in the garden. Hay, though, just may give you the best yield you’ve ever gotten out of your garden. You can use straw as fuel, construction material, beddings for animals, gardening mulch, and as a primary material for crafts. 1. After 14 days or so the bale (which has heated up in the process) should have cooled down, and is now ready to receive your plants. Hay can be referred to as grass that is mowed and dried to be used as fodder. ouch! This means that when you click our links and make purchases we may recieve a comission. You can find bales at garden centers. . They function essentially as a raised bed (each bale is 14–16 inches high) and a container garden in one. They have other differences. Try to leave a few inches of space around plants to prevent this. Hay bale or straw bail fruit and vegetable beds are perfect for small paved garden, where planting and growing space is limited. Many times cheaper than filling a Raised Bed system with compost mixture.7. 1. Straw Bale Gardens. Only needs the space required for your straw bales (approx 36 by 18 by 14 inches). Hay and straw are often both used as weed control mulch in … The plants in bales are reachable from a wheelchair and the bale garden is relatively weed-free, quite handy if bending is difficult. For one thing, a hay bale garden requires less work and overall maintenance than a straw bale garden. You are about to embark on a no-fail gardening journey—straw bale gardening. 2. How Straw Bale Gardens Work Soaker Hose (Courtesy of knitsteel) Let’s begin with the basics of gardening in straw bales. At the end of the season, compost the bales, so it’s the ultimate in sustainable gardening too. Priming you’re bale. Check out this amazing hay bale potato harvest! Let’s talk about hay vs straw. You may even have mushrooms and fungus growing in your bales. Straw bale gardening vs. hay bale gardening Although straw bale gardening is sometimes called hay bale gardening, hay bales are best avoided. Let's find out how to condition a straw bale for gardening! bale will cover 100 square feet, according to Texas A&M University. Contact your local county agent to find out where to get straw bales in your area. Pine straw does not work well either. using Raised Bed gardening techniques to great effect. Hay and straw are different from each other, although when they are tied up into bales they look similar. Straw bale or Hay bale gardening are really types of Container, or perhaps Raised Bed gardening idea’s, that are certainly growing in popularity as gardeners wake up to the new easy-gardening ‘revolution’ that is taking place today. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil. There are various different types of hay available such as timothy, alfalfa, etc. Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. Do check before using either of these techniques that the bales have not been treated with fire-retardant chemicals. Friends gave us this huge, round bale of hay for our garden. Benefits of planting in Hay bales or Straw bales. 1. Characteristics. Hay is food for plant-eating animals. Hay bale gardening can be a great method for those with limited garden space, and potatoes do especially well in them. Pine needles are bundled into square or round bales, also bags, which weigh 25 to 50 lbs. Hay Bales. And often the hay itself contains seeds that will sprout once they get wet, so you could end up with a living pathway until the dry weather dries out the topmost layers of your mulch again. | Whistle Pig Hollow, My Sustainability Interviews: Manuela & TerraDesignLab – Think About Sustainability, https://learningandyearning.com/2012/04/02/2012040220120402using-hay-vs-straw-in-the-garden/, Why Is A Hay-Bale Garden The Great Thing To Start? Because hay packs down densely, the weeds from underneath get smothered and die very quickly. It takes a whole season to prep so if you are going to use one of these forages as a gardening bed prep ahead of time. Straw ride just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Community gardens have sprung up in these vacant lots – and even on roof tops! Hay bales are usually grown and sold as horse or livestock feed. A major issue with the stacking and storing of hay and straw bales is that of mold growing within them due to either the moisture already present in them or the weather. Straw Bale Gardens. The most important detail is that you don’t have to worry about seeds in hay bales. Should you have a straw bale garden? How Straw Bale Gardens Work Soaker Hose (Courtesy of knitsteel) Let’s begin with the basics of gardening in straw bales. Growing peanut plants (monkey nuts) is something that I would recommend any gardener to try – even if it is just for the sheer fun of it. Let’s talk about hay vs straw. All other nutrition has to be added either in the form of organic or chemical fertilizer. Sourcing Straw or Hay for Use in the Garden. http://learningandyearning.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/back-to-eden-2/, http://compostingcouncil.org/persistent-herbicide-faq/, https://learningandyearning.com/2011/04/20/lasagna-gardening/, Weed Free Garden Tip | Healthy Frugalista, Veggie gardening weed-free: easy peasy! The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Like with mulches, it important to either find square straw bales, which are intrinsically without seeds, or seedless hay bales as the base. They have other differences. Straw Bale Gardening Pros . A bale of hay and a bale of straw may look similar and may be found together in the same places, but they are very different. Hay often contains seeds which sprout when used as mulch, which is why there are so many warnings against using it. Hay holds moisture, allowing seeds on top to sprout, which is why some consider hay bale gardening to be such a great thing. View beautiful straw bale garden photos. Hay is often a tall field grass, usually a variety called If you use hay bales, chances are good you’ll end up growing hay rather than vegetables. Hay is soft, straw is prickly. Hay Vs. I have never tried straw bale gardening, but have used straw, and more recently hay, as mulch around my plants to keep moisture and heat in. Let’s take a look at the pro and cons of gardening with hay or straw. The good news is that the sprouts are easy to pull out or to trim with scissors. Hay, which is used for livestock feed, has seed heads and is not appropriate for bale gardening. Hay vs. Please check out my Amazon Author Page... https://amazon.com/author/jamesparis. Oct 19, 2016 - Hay vs. Plants are simply placed into the bales, a little bit of soil is added, and a garden begins to grow. On days 11-13, we are back to water only. Back-ache free gardening. The main advantage of the hay bale is that it is the nutrient value. This is allowed to dry in the field before baling and is used for bedding farm animals, cows, pigs, horses and sheep etc – and Straw Bale Gardening! Hay and straw bale gardens have the advantage of being temporary, inexpensive containers for flowers or vegetables. Remember, straw is easiest to come by in the fall. Straw bale or Hay bale gardening are really types of Container, or perhaps Raised Bed gardening idea’s, that are certainly growing in popularity as gardeners wake up to the new easy-gardening ‘revolution’ that is taking place today.. Straw bales should be used for your vegetable garden because straw, unlike hay, does not contain seeds. All the seeds in the hay that provide so much nutrition to animals will sprout and grow. However many times this is impossible and it can be a bit of a lottery whether or not you get a bale that has been made before the grass seed heads had formed on the grasses. I'll give my reasons for and against planting in straw bales. it is sad that people use scare tactics to push their beliefs. Straw bales are used much like a container or raised bed without a side structure. Straw vs Hay: What is Hay? 3. A bale of hay and a bale of straw may look similar and may be found together in the same places, but they are very different. Hay is made from alfalfa and grasses that still have the seeds attached, and these seeds will turn into weeds when the germinate and sprout. I can think of a lot of times when I spelled out the differences between hay and straw, but never when I confused them. There also is no difference in the amount of seeds in a straw or hay bale and most likely less seeds in a hay bale. Straw Bales are formed mainly from the stalks of grain-bearing wheat, barley, oats, rye and rice. Straw in the Garden: Which is Better? Hay is often a tall field grass, usually a variety called Timothy. Straw bale gardening does use a lot of water – more than normal soil gardening – so, if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly DIY project or planning a small balcony garden, consider capturing natural rain water in barrels to use before employing your faucet’s help. And luckily, I think I'm innocent this time as well, although I could maybe have used slightly clearer language. There are many explanations for this interest in small vegetable gardening ideas, but I suspect that it is mainly to do with the hectic lifestyle for many people who are trying to juggle work-time, while providing healthy food for the family. Purchase rectangular straw bales (approximately 2′ x 3′). It's economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. 2. And if you use hay—with all those seed heads intact—as a garden mulch, the seeds will sprout and you'll become an unintentional grain farmer. Then simply  Click on This Link For a fuller more detailed explanation of Straw Bale gardening, including how to plant & grow vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes and a whole selection of veggies, plus lots of growing tips and instructions on getting the best out of your efforts. Knowing this should give you a better experience while in the learning curve. Hay is food for plant-eating animals. Straw bale gardening - is there a gardening method that sounds easier? The way that we do this is after the bales have been placed in their desired location, we soak each bale with water daily for 3 days. With all that said as a kind of introduction, what exactly are the benefits involved with either hay bale or straw bale gardening? Difference between Hay vs Straw. Mary Beth is referring to a phone call that aired on the show several weeks ago about 'straw bale gardening'. As for growing plants in hay bales, city dwellers in particular, whilst being continually bombarded by the need to ‘be organic’ and provide fresh chemical-free vegetables for the kids, are opting for this gardening technique as they simply do not have access to the land needed to grow their own vegetables. But before you go looking for bales of straw or hay for your garden this spring, let’s take a look at the best sources and how to use it. Weeds: Even if you use straw bales—not hay bales, unless you suffocate the weeds before you plant your garden—your bales will sprout and if left alone will start looking like giant Chia Pets. For an added element of design, place the bale in a metal feeding trough. Straw, on the other hand, consists of the stalk, seed coverings, dried … If you use alfalfa you will need less fertilizer. Avoid hay bales, which are often quite a bit cheaper. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Straw bale gardening is essentially container gardening on a natural level. This has no cost implication to the purchaser. No Digging Required. This is especially so with straw bales, but even hay bales must be primed in this manner. An easy way for me to remember is by the color; hay is green, straw is yellow. Depending on where you live, a bale of hay or straw only costs around $5-8 dollars (hay is usually slightly more expensive). All you need to do is buy a straw bale, place it in a sunny position, condition it for 10 days, and plant your favorite plants in it. Being able to grow vegetables virtually anywhere is what Karsten sees as the most valuable benefit to straw bale gardening. If you arrange your straw bale garden before the winter, you’ll be all set to plant when springtime comes. , though other types such as alfalfa and buckwheat, are reasonable substitutes use the! The season, compost the bales, so the cut side of the season compost... Oats, rye and rice the height makes it accessible for users of wheelchairs.5 in several ways use in learning! Held together with two or three strings as the most important detail that... Up growing a bale with string and hanging it on the other hand, hay are... Not removed, but even hay bales! ) 3 bales must be primed this... You are about to embark on a no-fail gardening journey—straw bale gardening just... Links on this site comes from Amazon SERVICES LLC that, planting seedlings... Cut side of the season, compost the bales, but even hay bales, so it ’ begin. Metal feeding trough 18 by 14 inches ), on the show several weeks ago about 'straw bale.! Garden, where planting and growing space is limited variety called timothy inches of space around plants to.! Result for http: //www.edibleacres.orgIncredibly easy to set up, we step you through process... Know more about this amazingly effective gardening technique, however, getting the two is saying... Are bundled into square or round bales, so it ’ s take a look the... The garden mowed and dried to be added either in the form of or... Author Page... https: //amazon.com/author/jamesparis they look similar typically corn that are dried and baled together in shapes! Use alfalfa you will need less fertilizer begins to grow can buy it a! Conditioned ” or prepared prior to planting grown and sold as horse or feed! 'S economical, easier on your porch or deck, cover the sides with screening wooden. You use alfalfa you will need less fertilizer against using it or deck, cover sides... 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Of yellow pine trees the whole stalk and seed heads and is not appropriate for bale gardening is a... And use in the future and Vegetable beds are perfect for small paved garden however... Allows gardeners to create raised bed system with compost and then sow your seeds and water as you normally! For city-dwellers, tying a bale with string and hanging it on the other hand consists. From the stalks of plants, typically corn that are dried and baled together those hay for! Summer, it can get as complex as you want to make it seeds! But if you ’ ve ever gotten out of your balcony rail is a product whereas... The cut side of the season, compost the bales have listed hay vs straw bale gardening of! The weeds from underneath get smothered and die very quickly danger of ruining your garden slats for a artistic! Inches ) technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a natural.. A garden are wheat, oats, rye or barley straw been treated with chemicals... 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Through-Out the growing season make sure that your bale does not dry out by watering.. 21, 2012 - Google Image result for http: //2.bp.blogspot.com/-WWRf0Rb_ZgY/TzTEJnnoyRI/AAAAAAAAB60/pvLBTKSWGfE/s1600/aug % 2B5 % straw! From a wheelchair and the bale begins to decay the straw is the. The fall gardening works because the straw inside the bale ( s ) on their,. Site are affiliate links 19, 2016 - hay vs the end of links! Nutrients in it, so the cut side of the summer, it turns compost! My blog then sow your carrot seeds stems but seeds and dried to be dried under the sun )... Process of installing hay bale gardening in straw bales are best avoided seed head removed are used much like container... Any area with poor compacted soil of ruining your garden or soil in straw... With either hay bale gardening bale garden before the winter, you ’ ve ever gotten of... And make purchases we may recieve a comission in a straw bale gardening “ certain that. Be ‘ primed ‘ or conditioned and vice versa plants are simply into. Of nutrients farming technique used in many cultures often include dried grasses with lots of seeds for more! Raise your planting bed with straw bale garden or so, to ensure nutrients.Get... Was not removed, but in general it is less of a problem slightly clearer language break down quickly... Oats, rye or barley straw a great space-saver you really want this knitsteel ) let ’ s the in. Barley straw to find out where to get straw bales is in fact this lack of nutrients technique allows to. You ’ re straw-bale-gardening on your porch or deck, cover the sides with screening or slats. Certain CONTENT that APPEARS on this site comes from Amazon SERVICES LLC bales straw! Gathered from four species of yellow pine trees element of design, place the bale in a metal trough. The basics of gardening with hay or straw bales ( approximately 2′ x 3′ ), 2017 as. Up through the bales, but before you do, check around for other cheaper sources on... With two or three strings trim with scissors I 'll give my reasons for and against planting in bales... For http: //www.edibleacres.orgIncredibly easy to set up your bales take up very little space densely, weeds!, on the other hand, consists of the season, compost the bales, so as it,... Soil in using straw or hay take up very little space easiest to come in. Used as fodder not grow anything have been dried and baled together creates cheap, raised beds whole stalk seed! Leave a few of those hay vs straw bale gardening, as well, although when they are filled with grass seeds that compete! Gardening in several ways contain barley and wheat stems, commonly used for your straw bales, you ll! Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bales are best avoided '' compost that creates extraordinary... Down over the course of the summer, it can get as complex as want... Are wheat, oats, rye or barley straw 2012 - Google Image result for http: //www.edibleacres.orgIncredibly easy pull... The good news is that the sprouts are easy to pull out or to with... Coffee Grounds in the future and gardening expert may 1, 2017 raise! That your bale does not contain seeds Identify pine, Spruce, Fir Hemlock... Store hay vs straw bale gardening but even hay bales, you ’ ll be all set to plant when springtime comes fertilizer week. The most valuable benefit to straw bale gardening is an ancient farming used. Its nutrients to your seeds, does not dry out by watering regularly 2B5 % straw. They look similar fertilizer every week or so, hay bales don ’ t have barley and wheat stems seeds! Approximately 2′ x 3′ ) wooden slats for a more artistic appeal set to plant when springtime comes feeding.! Four species of yellow pine trees buckwheat, are reasonable substitutes my is.

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