A few years ago, I jumped on the straw bale garden bandwagon. A guy from MN got interested in it, devised a bunch of stuff, wrote a book or 2 and got somewhat famous.
He has a FB page.
Fame, fortune. etc.
You may remember that I had a community garden plot a block over, but the property sold and we gave it up. I did enjoy the garden, and Susie had found this straw bale guy and tried it, with some degree of success.
The only area in my yard with anywhere close to enough sun is on the north side, at the bottom of a hill, against the neighbor's chain link fence. So....I prop my bales against the fence, and used the fence to support my watering system. The straw holds a lot of water, but it holds it at the bottom of the bale, and the plants (most of the plants) grow from the top. You can put plants in the sides and bottom, too, if you want.
My watering system is some rebar bent on the ends 90*, slid into conduit welded to more rebar. That rebar is stuck into the ground and wired to the fence. The horizontal rebar has some bedframe angle iron welded to it and those lawn sprinklers that oscillate back and forth, in a big wave. You can adjust it so it's just one way, or just the other or just the center, etc. I mounted them upside down, set to the center, or just off, so that it rains onto the garden and not the lawn. I don't want to mow any more often than I have to mow....It works fine, or did........this year I acquired another bale.
The first year I tried it I had 2, I think. Last year I got 4, and put what was left of the previous year's into the old recycle tub. so that measured 12', and worked great with the sprinkler. This year with another bale, I may have to turn the sprinklers over to get more use of the arc.
Susie wanted a more automated system, and I had the brilliant idea that shower heads would be ideal. So we bought some fittings, some shower heads, I supplied some hose, and since she had a broken ankle and Dawn had also recently had surgery, I put it together. I didn't work too well....not enough pressure, not enough water, something. The water just kind of dribbled out. Maybe her house has a bad prostate?
What is the point of all of this? Once upon a time when I was picking up pallets and free wood, I got 4 panels at a fireplace store, must have been a crate. They laid around for a long time, and then. THEN! I got an idea. I put them alongside the bales, which shades them and also protects them from wind and of course that helps them to not dry.
This year we planted a zucchini and a cucumber and a climbing flower. Hopefully they'll all climb up the fence and watering rebar. I might put some twine as vertical runners. We also planted a poblano, a jalapeno, 2 red bell, an orange bell and a couple of other peppers. A cherry tomato and early girl tomato. I bought .58# white and yellow onions, at $2/lb.....so hopefully we'll have some onions.
He has a FB page.
Fame, fortune. etc.
You may remember that I had a community garden plot a block over, but the property sold and we gave it up. I did enjoy the garden, and Susie had found this straw bale guy and tried it, with some degree of success.
The only area in my yard with anywhere close to enough sun is on the north side, at the bottom of a hill, against the neighbor's chain link fence. So....I prop my bales against the fence, and used the fence to support my watering system. The straw holds a lot of water, but it holds it at the bottom of the bale, and the plants (most of the plants) grow from the top. You can put plants in the sides and bottom, too, if you want.
My watering system is some rebar bent on the ends 90*, slid into conduit welded to more rebar. That rebar is stuck into the ground and wired to the fence. The horizontal rebar has some bedframe angle iron welded to it and those lawn sprinklers that oscillate back and forth, in a big wave. You can adjust it so it's just one way, or just the other or just the center, etc. I mounted them upside down, set to the center, or just off, so that it rains onto the garden and not the lawn. I don't want to mow any more often than I have to mow....It works fine, or did........this year I acquired another bale.
The first year I tried it I had 2, I think. Last year I got 4, and put what was left of the previous year's into the old recycle tub. so that measured 12', and worked great with the sprinkler. This year with another bale, I may have to turn the sprinklers over to get more use of the arc.
Susie wanted a more automated system, and I had the brilliant idea that shower heads would be ideal. So we bought some fittings, some shower heads, I supplied some hose, and since she had a broken ankle and Dawn had also recently had surgery, I put it together. I didn't work too well....not enough pressure, not enough water, something. The water just kind of dribbled out. Maybe her house has a bad prostate?
What is the point of all of this? Once upon a time when I was picking up pallets and free wood, I got 4 panels at a fireplace store, must have been a crate. They laid around for a long time, and then. THEN! I got an idea. I put them alongside the bales, which shades them and also protects them from wind and of course that helps them to not dry.
This year we planted a zucchini and a cucumber and a climbing flower. Hopefully they'll all climb up the fence and watering rebar. I might put some twine as vertical runners. We also planted a poblano, a jalapeno, 2 red bell, an orange bell and a couple of other peppers. A cherry tomato and early girl tomato. I bought .58# white and yellow onions, at $2/lb.....so hopefully we'll have some onions.
I also need another tomato cage, and I'm thinking about building one from wire. Just because I don't have enough frustration in my life.
So there it is, a tomato cage and onions planted.
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