Hay! That's a Garden

Hay! That's a Garden
By Cassaundra Flores

Do you know someone who has always loved gardening but has physical restrictions? Why not throw a couple of bales of straw their way! Hay or straw bale gardening is gaining in popularity because there is no tilling or digging. What's more, the garden is off the ground, so there is no bending. (Is that the sound of your sore muscles thanking you?) If you've got soil on your property that doesn't want to grow anything, or you have limited space, this type of gardening might be your answer. This type of gardening is so fun and easy. You can have your bale garden ready to grow in just ten days. Here's how:

Days 1 through 3 Pick hay or straw that has been tightly baled. Decide where you want your bales to go and place them with the twine off the ground. They'll be too heavy to move after you've soaked them. Soaker hoses are really handy with this type of garden because you want to get your straw bales good and soggy. Getting the straw all wet is what wakes up the microscopic life that is living in the straw. Once they are awake, they'll be hungry and will start working their way up looking for bacteria to munch on. The waste that results from all this is what provides your garden with nourishment. Nature provides the hay bale garden with fertilizer. All you have to do is to maintain the moisture. Days 4 to 7 You can add compost to the tops of your hay bale garden. This will give the paramecia food. If you want to add humus to the top of your garden, it will speed along the whole fertilizing process. Of course, you'll be keeping the bales nice and soggy. Don't worry about over-watering. This type of gardening is so foolproof, excess water will drain out.

Days 8 to 10 (if needed) are planting days. Here is where the ease and fun of this type of gardening really begins! You can seed your garden into your humus covering or take whole plants, add a bit of soil and plant them right into the bales. To transplant tomato plants, cut a slit in the bale and put your plant in, tightly, planting up to the first leaf. Two tomato plants per bale are recommended. Don't forget to add stakes, and make them high- tomatoes seem to love growing in bales. Bumper crops have been reported.

Hay bales usually last for two years. After that, they make a wonderful compost spread. Many people plant flowers around the outer corners to make the bales more attractive. All types of flowers grow well in bale gardens as well as a host of vegetables and herbs. Best of all, physical restrictions don't have to get in the way of your love of gardening.

Article written by Cassaundra Flores, owner of http://www.skyfireproducts.com.

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