Beginning of week THREE!!!

So for the last two weeks I've been faithfully soaking my straw bales.  It got old quick.  :)  I put the hose on low and laid it on the straw bale and put a rather handy log on top of it to hold it in place.  I'd move it regularly  - hopefully getting a good soak.  I'm just not sure how well it is soaking in - seems like I have more run off than anything.

The straw bale on the left is bound tighter, so I do spend a bit more time on it.

Today, the beginning of week three - it's time to add fertilizer.  You know that Dog Chow bag tightly wound full or organic fertilizer?  :)

It wasn't as bad as I thought.  I put on my gardening gloves and dug in.  Thankfully it was dry and well mixed with "used" straw.    I piled it on top of both.  Not knowing how much was right, I put on enough so that it was covered an inchish thick:

I didn't want it too close to the edge because it would have run off when I soaked it.    I pulled the hose out again and soaked the poop out of it.  Well, soaked the poop into it. :)   I started on full mode until it was good and wet and then I used the stream setting to break apart the "clumps."  I let it sit for about 2 hours and then I went out and soaked it again.  Again, I'm not sure how much is soaking in and not running off.  But I guess that I why we soak it nonstop.  I think I'll have the best grass around my straw bales, huh?

So for the next week I add fertilizer every other day while soaking it daily.  

My plants are doing well - except the green peppers. Nothing.  Nada.  I'll have to get my seeds back and try again.  I'm gonna get my squash, zucchini, pumpkin and watermelons going soon!

I'll update again as things move along!

Straw Bale Gardening

So a friend and I came across 'StrawBale Gardening' - growing a garden in a bale of straw.

So I started my plants last week,

Two Beefsteak tomato plants
Two Cherry tomato plants
Two Green pepper plants
Basil
Cilantro

And about a zillion sunflower plants for Andrew.  They have always been his favorite so I try to plant some every year.

Steve at work got us some straw bales from a farm near him.  And as a bonus, a bag of mulch and a bag of organic fertilizer.  Yea.  It's what you think.  Horse manure from his farm!!  Make sure you put your straw bales down with the straps going around the sides of the bales. If your bale is tied with string or twine, it will break down and your bale will fall apart.

Getting ready to grow!  (Ignore the wood pile...we had a raccoon hiding in it and he messed it up!)

The fertilizer is in the bag that is tied shut, the mulch in the other bag.

So what I have to do now is water my straw bales...soak them...daily.  This helps to break it down and get it ready for the plants.  This is the beginning of week two.  A special thanks to the Good Lord for watering them two days for me!

Next week I start adding the fertilizer  - every other day and water on the alternating days.

Add a little top soil on top (some blogs say this is necessary, some say not) and then I can put my starts in or put seeds in directly!  I plan on also planting squash, zucchini, watermelons and pumpkins out the sides - I need to get them started soon!

I was going to add pictures of my plants, but my camera is acting up!  I'll be sure to post them as soon as I can!

Wish me luck!