carrots, potatos, parsnips

We're going to try straw bale gardening this year. Can root vegetables be grown this way? Zone 5a.
Thanks.

I believe some people have grown some that way, but don't know how. I think to have them grow in bales, the bales would have to be pretty much decomposed for the roots to get thru (speaking of carrots) . If they were decomposed enough for that to happen, it seems to me, and I could be wrong, that it would be pretty late in the season for them to get a good start because it does take a while for the bales to decompose. I don't know if mine, in the past, would have been that decomposed by the end of the season to be able to grow things like that in them. And then, of course, the bales re falling apart.

I think potatoes could be grown if you didn't put them in a tied up bale. Like, maybe a trench and then covered with the straw, or something like that. Maybe even the way a lot of us have heard about tires being used to grow potatoes.

Maybe someone who has tried it will come on and answer you. Good luck.

Thanks Jnette. I've got a couple of year old bales that are decomposing. Hmm.

Might work, sounds good anyway. Maybe someone who has tried it will jump in here.

Sarah: my neighbors grew some great potatoes in new straw bales last year. Get your bales out now and start keeping them moist until it's time to plant. I'm putting my bales out by next Saturday unless my supplier has a problem getting them to me by then. I'm not doing potatoes, so my planting date will be around May 1st.

Thanks. Further research tells me that potatoes probably will get too much light. I might try onions though. Bought my bales on Sat and we're getting lots of rain today, so I've started soaking. Can't wait!