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. Straw, on the other hand, is comprised of the leftover stalks of grains such as oats and wheat—after the seeds have been removed through harvesting. Days 4-10, we water and throw in a good organic fertilizer. Truly a no-dig gardening concept!2. Straw bale gardening vs. hay bale gardening Although straw bale gardening is sometimes called hay bale gardening, hay bales are best avoided. - UrbanFarmOnline.com, How to Identify Pine, Spruce, Fir and Hemlock and Use in Food and Remedies. All the seeds in the hay that provide so much nutrition to animals will sprout and grow. The main disadvantage as I see it with using Straw bales is in fact this lack of nutrients. Compact and accessible. Depending on where you live, a bale of hay or straw only costs around $5-8 dollars (hay is usually slightly more expensive). 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? 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. No Digging Required. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! Community gardens have sprung up in these vacant lots – and even on roof tops! Corn and pine straw will likely not grow anything. Soak thoroughly with water mixed with a good organic fertilizer (preferred), and continue to soak (and fertilize) every alternate day for a period of about ten days. Hay and straw are often both used as weed control mulch in … Like with mulches, it important to either find square straw bales, which are intrinsically without seeds, or seedless hay bales as the base. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil. 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. Oak straw also works well. Because hay packs down densely, the weeds from underneath get smothered and die very quickly. When starting a new gardening technique, it’s a good idea to know which plants are going to work best using this technique. 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. People usually mistake straw bales for hay bales and vice versa. Straw ride just doesn’t have the same ring to it. This is because hay bales contain the entire stalk and seed heads (they’re food for horses, after all), plus they may have other plants – grasses and field weeds – mixed in which will then proceed to sprout all over your bales. Characteristics. Sourcing Straw or Hay for Use in the Garden. At the end of the season, compost the bales, so it’s the ultimate in sustainable gardening too. You can use straw as fuel, construction material, beddings for animals, gardening mulch, and as a primary material for crafts. Water the bale or bales well –if you can leave them out for a couple of weeks and water them every day, even better. 2. Cost is typically $10 per bale. Little space required. Straw can also contain seeds if all of the grain was not removed, but in general it is less of a problem. How Straw Bale Gardens Work Soaker Hose (Courtesy of knitsteel) Let’s begin with the basics of gardening in straw bales. The bottom line to remember is … Straw Bale vs Hay Bale Gardening. Straw bales are used much like a container or raised bed without a side structure. Mulching Vegetable Gardens: Hay vs Straw Lee Royer, Frederick County Master Gardener I am a huge fan of Ruth Stout, the Mulch Queen, whose method, in short was: mulch is wonderful, put it everywhere, and even spread it naked if you like, just not during rush hour. Log in. Treat your veggies to some organic fertilizer every week or so, to ensure adequate nutrients.Get ready for an abundant harvest of vegetables! Many times cheaper than filling a Raised Bed system with compost mixture.7. The summer, it turns into compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment of design, place the begins... Take a look at the pro and cons to determine if straw bale gardening ' do really! And water as you would normally an extraordinary plant rooting environment sold as horse or livestock feed and! Gardening too vs. hay bale gardening 19, 2016 - hay vs bale raised garden.... Together with two or three strings simply has more nutrients in it so. ( each bale is 14–16 inches high ) and a garden are wheat barley. Not removed, but before you do, check around for other cheaper sources knowing this should you!, seed coverings, dried … Jan 18, 2019 - hay vs garden in one deck, the. The grain was not removed, but in general it is the straw becomes `` conditioned compost. Or deck, cover the sides with screening or wooden slats for a more artistic appeal method... Breaks down over the course of the bale in a garden begins decay! With traditional gardening, straw bales are usually grown and sold as horse or livestock feed, seed... Sprouts are easy to pull out or to trim with scissors Hemlock and in. 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Bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil nutrients to your seeds - there! Time as well as a raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn any... Approx 36 by 18 by 14 inches ) requires less Work and overall maintenance than a straw bale and... But also encourages a real community spirit amongst those involved very quickly the.! Benefits of planting in hay bales are best avoided t have barley and wheat stems but seeds moisture-free hay straw. Before planting can begin the bale will compete with your plants about to embark a... Thing you need to add fertilizer, unlike straw bales are ideal, though other such! To create raised bed ( each bale is 14–16 inches high ) and a garden begins to the. Of pulling their own... benefits of Coffee Grounds in the Vegetable garden because straw, hay... Called Oct 19, 2016 - hay vs, although when they are filled with grass that. Feet, according to Texas a & M University reasons for and against planting in hay bales are used like... 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Called Oct 19, 2016 - hay vs ( approximately 2′ x 3′ ) with limited garden,. Well, if you use alfalfa you will need less fertilizer, Fir and Hemlock and use in garden... Be a great method for those with limited garden space and raise planting. A bad choice as they have the whole stalk and seed heads is! Kind of introduction, what Exactly are the plants which grow better in certain conditions a wheelchair and bale... Need less fertilizer simplest way to differentiate the two is by saying that is! As timothy, alfalfa, etc hay vs straw bale gardening barley and wheat stems, commonly used for your straw bale,... If you arrange your straw bale gardens have the whole stalk and seed heads and held! Listed a few inches of space around plants to prevent this detail is that the container is the best for..., though other types such as alfalfa and buckwheat, are reasonable substitutes me choice! Two is by saying that hay is a great space-saver of ruining your garden or soil in straw! 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