Straw Bale Gardening

In the fall,
I picked up these straw bales with the intention
of starting a straw bale garden.
I first learned about this technique by reading
Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten.
It is a fascinating yet simple method of growing food
without using traditional soil.
Crops grow directly in the bales,
after they have been "conditioned".

The step-by-step process of conditioning takes anywhere
from 10 days to two weeks.
After this task is completed,
the bales are ready for planting,
using either seeds or transplants.
You can find another great website about the subject here.
Although I did have a few things germinate in the bales,
it didn't really go anywhere,
mostly due to my lack of attention.
I decided to wait until spring and try again,
with a little more gusto this time.

This past weekend, I found some amazing videos on the topic,
and have become really excited about making this work.
I'm starting to get materials together
(I want to create an arch between some of the bales),
and will start to condition them in the next couple of weeks.
I still have some containers to grow in,
but I'm thinking this may be the better way for me to grow.
 
If you're considering starting a straw bale garden,
see if these folks don't get you excited too! 

The 52 Week Gardener

Survival HT