This is the first time we have ever done a straw bale garden and we are letting you know how it goes. Joel karsten on the six bale greenhouse urban farm. We are following joel karstens book straw bale gardening. Straw bale planters are an easy solution for people lacking clean soil or extra space for gardening. See more ideas about straw bale gardening, straw bales and hay bale gardening. Her setup that day was small compared to the 68 bale garden she and her husband, john, have at their home but it could be just the right size for a beginner. The reception and enthusiasm for straw bale gardening, introduced in 20, has proved revolutionary in vegetable growing. These types of containers can be located anywhere there is at least 68 hours of sunlight and access to a water source. Straw bale gardens have taken off over the last decade or so. View joel karsten s straw bale gardens article in the new york times. This gardening technique works well anywhere in the country or the world for that matter. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw. All that is needed are a few straw bales, fertilizer, a bit of compost and time to condition, plant and water the garden.
Straw bale gardens by joel karsten overdrive rakuten. Adapted from joel karsten, author of straw bale gardens complete. Karsten says the key is conditioning the bales ahead of time so they become selffeeding growing boxes similar to containers except you end up with a halfdecayed pile of composted straw by the end of the. Joel karsten is the author of straw bale gardens 4. Joel earned a bs in horticulture from the university of minnesota and. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Karsten also provides private live webinar style appearances for smaller events for garden clubs or educational classes, without a travel budget for speakers. So, hay bale gardening differentiates from straw bale gardening in several ways. Straw bale gardens complete contains all of the original information that has set.
If you have a lot of time, you can simply keep them wet for 34 weeks and let nature take its course. The hidden danger of straw bale gardening no one is. Well, guess what joel karsten, author of straw bale gardens you seem. Soilless mix, with no potential to harbor disease, insects or weed seeds.
Planting seed large seeds and for individual plants cucurbits, legumes, beets and chard, kale, kohlrabi, etc. A complete guide to growing in bales without soil or weeds by joel karsten. Straw bale gardens can be set up directly onto turf which will capture water. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes conditioned compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Learning how to plant straw bale garden beds, on the ground or in a raised bed offers easy access to those who should not bend. We both left joel karstens talk very excited to try this new type of container gardening. Straw bale gardens, by joel karsten, is a great resource.
Joel, a farm boy who grew up tending a soil garden, shook up the gardening world with his first book describing his breakthrough straw bale gardening concept. Straw bale gardening ultimate 5chapter beginners guide. Be sure the bales are straw and not hayor youll be growing whatever is in that hay along with what you intended to grow. Straw bale gardening comes with the endorsement of horticulture professor and noted garden myth debunker linda chalkerscott. The surface under the straw bale is not of any importance because the plants roots will.
Straw bale gardening has been around for centuries, but thanks to joel karstens book straw bale gardens it has gained new popularity. Today, we are going to talk about planning out your garden. Straw bale gardens complete by joel karsten overdrive. Last year i tried a few offthewall types of gardens, including a straw bale garden. Straw bale gardening coast to coast trials and tribulations of using bales to grow vegetables and herbs. Straw bale gardening, is a most informative and detailed book for the avid vegetable gardener. This excerpt is taken from the introduction of straw bale. So over the weekend, i located a farmer near new trier who had some big, beautiful bales of wheat straw that i used to set up my straw bale gardens. Setting them up is the hardest part but there are many benefits to this type of garden. Straw is typically yellow, dry, hollow and not food for animals. This is the first book i purchased on the subject and i think it contains enough information to allow anyone to. Straw bale gardening is another form of container gardening where the container slowly decomposes becoming a rich compost. After watering our straw bales for three days our next step is to apply a high nitrogen fertilizer. Last year i wrote a post for the grow network on straw bale gardening and along came joel karsten to attack me, the site itself, and other commenters there he writes.
Starting a straw bale garden is an inexpensive and viable option to working up the soil in a regular garden. So i called up joel karsten, author of straw bale gardens, and lead authority on all things straw. Straw bales not hay bales are a great place to plant vegetables. Hear the incredible story of straw bale gardens by the man who literally wrote the book on this technique, mr. Hay bales are grasses that have been dried and baled together. Theyre like growbags at a fraction of the cost and without the plastic waste. Leafy greens love the bales, as do root crops, vines, cucurbits, herbs and even flowers. Why your garden needs a straw bale preparednessmama. They suggest a 12 cup of urea per bale or bone meal, fish meal, or compost for a more organic approach. Remove a chunk of straw and fill the hole with potting soil small seeds or to plant in rows put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bale s. Whatever you call it, its a great way to grow herbs and vegetables. Joel karsten on the six bale greenhouse starting the spring farming season as much as 6 weeks early. Cut side of straw should be on the top of the bale if possible. The current straw bale gardening expert is joel karsten who wrote straw bale gardens by joel karsten fyi, joel will be speaking at this years free home grown food summit april 612, 2015.
Straw bale gardening is quite simply the easiest way to grow great edibles. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started two weeks prior to your target planting date wherever you are located. Straw bale gardening tips green bay botanical garden. The science of straw bale gardening with joel karsten. Beyond that, plant everything else that you like to eat. Take your straw bale gardening to the next levelin more places, with new products, and even sometimes skipping the straw entirelywith straw bale gardens complete. Purchase bales of straw from a farmers market or a local. Ive seen some really pretty and clever methods of straw bale gardening. Make sure its level water carefully so it doesnt wash away or cut the bottom out of a plastic flat, pin it. He has perfected the perfect way for anyone to have a garden without weeding, bending over, or using chemicals. I have 23 years of extensive experience with straw bale gardening, and my.
Once a straw bale has been prepared for planting, it can be transformed into a beautiful threedimensional annual garden, or host a fresh vegetable garden. If you normally plant using seeds, then use seeds in your bales as well, but create a seed bed on top of the bales first using about an inch or two of sterile planting mix. Joel karsten on straw bale gardening dont miss an episode. Pdf using cereal straw bales in home gardens researchgate. It is worth a trip to the library to check out his book. Cherri hankins, of buckeye, gave a demonstration on straw bale gardening saturday at buckeye home, farm, lawn and garden centers open house.
Straw bales are stalks of plants, typically corn that are dried and baled together in. A pioneer and an entrepreneur, karsten has been featured in the new york times, national television and radio. Straw bale gardens joel karsten book, available through j karsten s website. The hay bale garden everything you need to get started. Straw bale gardening is a gardening technique where the bales acts as natural containers for your plants. Straw bale gardening is a great alternative for building raised garden beds, and the. I think they mean blood meal as bone meal does not have much.
The technique has been popularized lately by minnesota horticulturist joel karsten and his 20 book straw bale gardening. Were following west virginia university extension services straw bale gardening advice. In just the short amount of time that has passed, the gardening world and joel karsten himself have learned even more about how to apply this method in just about any environment. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and herbs. Straw bale garden straw bales allow you to set up a garden anywhere, even on hardscapeadding valuable greenspace to your urban habitat. In forest glen, girl scout annie aguirre and other members of troop 20804 used straw bales to plant an organic vegetable garden in the back of a community church. Straw bale gardening is a gardening technique perfected by joel karsten where the bales acts as natural containers for your plants. Many basic facts counter to the authors agenda are simply, maybe purposefully, left out. Last week, i attended a presentation on straw bale gardening with my friend, penny. Straw bale gardening university of wisconsinmadison. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow. Straw bale gardens, joel karsten, 20, cool springs press, isbn. View joel karstens straw bale gardens article in the new york times. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil.
This makes it a great choice for anyone with hard soil or no soil at all, as all the magic takes place above the surface of the ground. Before you go planting anything into the bales, there is a minimum 12 day process you need to do with them to get them ready. Joel is a farm boy who grew up tending a soil garden like others have for centuries, but he shook up the gardening world with his first book on his breakthrough concept, straw bale gardening. Faced with the expense ok, and effort of building raised beds, i decided instead to go cheap and easy. Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This booklet is a guide to growing a successful straw bale garden written by the pioneer of this method of gardening. Straw bale gardens teaches gardening in a way that isnt only new but is thoroughly innovative and revolutionary to home gardening. Straw bale gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. Karsten, 43, first planted a straw bale, he wasnt planning to rewrite the annals of kitchen gardening. Step by step of creating a straw bale garden straw bale. The straw is an easy, loose place for the plants to spread out their roots. He routinely challenges old gardening dogma and pioneers exciting new techniques to grow vegetables in the darndest places. It solves every impediment todays home gardeners face.
The practice has been tested in dry climates like ours. Remove a chunk of straw and fill the hole with potting soil small seeds or to plant in rows put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bales. The straw bale process is for the person who is tired of tilling, trying to improve soil condition, weeding, constant watering, etc. Straw bale gardening is also called bale gardening or mistakenly, hay bale gardening.
Its a gardening method of raising vegetables, herbs, and flowers planted directly on a straw bale you can also use hay, alfalfa, oat, or rye bales straw is more common and generally cheaper and has less weed seeds bales bound with poly twin work. Straw bale gardening is an old and tested practice. There are two aspects to this i want to talk about. Contact joel directly with any inquiry you might have, and if he cant help you, he can probably refer you to one of his many certified straw bale gardening instructors around the world. Contact your local county agent to find out where to get straw bales in your area. In straw bale solutions, the next book in the straw bale gardening series, you will find over two dozen stories of straw bale gardens that inspire. As interest grew, he became one of the most indemand garden lecturers in the country.
Joel karsten, author of straw bale gardens, straw bale solutions, and straw bale gardens complete, developed the straw bale gardening method more than 10 years ago. Its economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. After the bale has decomposed you get compost you can use elsewhere in the yard. See more ideas about straw bale gardening, straw bales and strawbale gardening. The new york times called straw bale gardening a revolutionary gardening method and his ideas have been enthusiastically embraced.
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