For this bale I dug out a small trench and added some Miracle-Gro soil. Then sprinkled in some various wildflower seeds.

Bale 3 and 4 I sowed pumpkin and cucumber seeds directly into the bale. No soil added. I will post photos when/if they sprout. Wish me luck!

The tomatoes are in!

I planted 2 tomato plants in one bale. One yellow pear and a beefsteak. 1 day later they are looking good!

Day 12: Planting!

Finally planting day has arrived! I tried making a crack in the bale using a spatula as another gardener suggested--this did not work as the bale was too tight. , I used a mini crowbar instead--this worked great!

Day 4--Adding the fertilizer!

Day 4--The rain has finally ended and it is time to start adding the 27-0-0 ammonium nitrate to the straw bales!

I watered the bales first then sprinkled on the fertilizer.

After adding fertilizer I watered the bales thoroughly to make sure it soaked in well.

Less then a week before planting time!

Day 2

Well--another day of rain so I didn't have water the bales today..my goats were curious as to what I was doing out in the rain..LOL

Straw Bale Gardening--day 1

Well here I am--I can't believe I am writing a blog about STRAW BALES! LOLOL I read about this type of gardening and thought it sounded like a great gardening project for me... "Have poor soil"?.."No bending or weeding"?? You actually place your seedlings IN the straw bales-- Wow..could this be true? I must give this a try!

Preparing Your Bales

It takes 10 days to prepare your bales.

• Days 1–3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them wet.
• Days 4–6: Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day, and water it well into the bales. I didn’t have any trouble finding ammonium nitrate from my local ag-supply store. They sold it in 40-pound bags. I have heard, however, that some people have had difficulty finding it in more urban settings. Ask around.
• Days 7–9: Cut back to 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate per bale per day and continue to water it in well.
• Day 10: No more ammonium nitrate, but do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale and water it in well.
• Day 11: Transplant your plants into the bales. I used a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack back together as best you can.

I am going to document the entire experience with photos along the way..here we go!

I sent my hubby to our local feed store for 6 Straw bales (straw, not hay) and 32-0-0 ammonium nitrate as suggested. Buying the fertilizer turned out to be more difficult then imagined as it not sold to 'average' people anymore. (something about bomb making material) ..so we settled on the 27-0-0..which we still had to sign for.

Day one, position bales where you want them. Make sure you like where they are--as once placed and watered they are very difficult to move.

Place the bales with the baling wire running horizontal to the ground as this helps keep the bales intact. Thoroughly water the bales ---The torrential rain did this for me today!