Kitchen Garden Forum

I was intrigued in the August edition of HG just received to read on the back page some comments about growing greenhouse tomatoes in straw bales. I don't think I've ever heard of this. Could somebody please explain exactly what it is and how it works, and whether you could grow them by this method in an outdoor border.
I'm asking because I've been growing tomatoes in the same long border for about 30 years, every year dividing the border into two sections and growing climbing beans in one half and tomatoes in the other, and alternating them the next year. I was wondering whether I've been exhausting the soil doing this although I do dig in some manure and compsot every year, and wondered whether you actually dig in straw bales - or have I completely got the wrong end of the stick?

Primrose I found this link on straw bale growing, looks like it can grow in or out even on concrete! I might try it in the greenhouse next year, easier and lighter than compost, and apparently needs less watering.

http://www.greenoptions.com/wiki/growin ... ale-garden

To rejuvenate your soil another alternative is to use a green manure seed let grow over winter , cut it next spring, leaving on the soil as a mulch, cover with loose straw then plant your tomatoes through the mulch, helps add humus and nutrients to the soil, and conserves moisture.

Hi NB and Primrose,
I was involved in an experiment to grow Cucumbers in straw bales back in the mid 1940's in a greenhouse whilst at College. The experiment was a very great success and earned the college an enormous amount of money for that time. I didn't stay at the college after that term so I do not know if there were any advances in the methodology and if the method was used on other plants such as Tomatoes. It certainly worked very well and as the photographs show on the website posted by NB the tomatoes appear really healthy.
My method of growing Tomatoes involves pulverized straw and comfrey which is really straw enriched with the fertilizing power of Comfrey so really is not a million miles away from enriched bales. The straw is only the way to hold the nutrients suspended for the plant.
I can envisage a time when compressed bales of my type of compost could be used as grow blocks. (or some such other name)
I might even have a crack at it myself because I think it has an awful lot of merit on it's side.
JB.

NB - thanks for that link. It's an intriguing idea and I can see that in areas of very poor soil perhaps, it could be an alternative way of growing vegetables. As Johnboy has testified, it obviously works but I'm puzzled how the tiny roots actually manage to get a grasp in the decomposing hay, and obviously some nutrition, as advised, has to be added to the mixture to feed the plants. I imagine that over the course of a growing season & the following winter the hay bales rot down and add texture and hummus to the soil. But where on earth does one buy the odd straw bale if you want to experiment? Could you use the hay bales sold in pet shops for rabbit bedding, or does it require a different kind of hay if you can't get straw?

Hi Primrose, I think you can use hay bales, but hay might have more weed seeds you might need to give it a haircut lol We can get wheat straw bales from a local farmer for £1.50 which we use for our chicken and duck ladies bedding.
In the summer it's layered into the compost heap, and autumn., I cover one or two beds with it to start a mulch and prevent erosion and compaction from heavy winter rains.

Hi Primrose,
One of your problems will be obtaining small bales as most cereal straw bales are made on the large bale scale.
I do not know how far you are from the nearest small farm.
A trip into the countryside to explore your possibilities may be an idea.
JB.