What kind of bales are the best for gardening? Also where can I get some straw bales in Arlington?
C
STRAW
I am in California but from the Straw Bale Gardening threads it says Straw from Alfalfa is good, less seeds. Don't get hay, too many seeds. I use Alfalfa straw bales for my lasagna gardens and some sporadic green shoots pop up, but they don't turn into anything.
Coastal Bermuda is a hybrid and does not seed. It is the number one hay used for horses and cattle in our area. Marshall Grain would be sure to have some, I do not know about Arlington.
Call Redenta's and see if they have any. I don't think they'll carry it, but call and ask. Look to see if there's a feed store in your area. For some reason, I'm thinking there's one near Bowen & Arkansas Ln. Otherwise, I saw some being delivered to Marshall Grain on Lancaster this past Wednesday. Russell Feed also carries it. I'm sure that there's a feed store in Kennedale that would have some, too.
I vote for Alfalfa--Highest in nitrogen
My sister-in-law buys Alfalfa near McKinney for her horse--I will ask her where she gets it.
Also Alfalfa is what everyone puts in their yard tea to bring worms and nitrogen and good bacteria into the soil, so you can't go wrong really, if you use it. It breaks my clay down really well too. Have you checked out the Hay Bale threads, they have so much info that your head will spin.
I bought straw of unknown origin LOL. It has finally showed some deomposition and I planted it this past weekend. I am not certain how it will turn out but will post a pic and let you know if this really worked for me. I see it has worked well for others but I am new to this and perhaps need more experience. Hoping for great veggies.
C
I just saw an ad on Craig's list for straw, $4 bale in Lancaster. Only offered through this weekend. I'm trying to find some closer to me, I'm 100 miles east of DFW. Hubster said it would be too expensive to get bales, 2 tanks of gas and register the trailer I will need to haul them home with. LOL. I know everyone has their gardens in full swing but I'm hoping to start a fall garden. Will probably have to go with the locally produced bermuda hay. I've been reading all the threads I can to get up to speed. Thanks to all for your useful info.
And Newton's , How's yours going now? Did I miss the photos in another thread?
I am not impressed with straw bale gardening. My plants did better and needed less watering in good soil. It was an experiment and for some I know its great but I won't repeat it. It would have been better to spend the money on good soil/amendments and make a permanent raised bed system for my veggies, which I hope to have done by this fall or next spring. Good luck on your project and let me know how it goes for you.
C
We use straw as mulch in our garden. Even then, it's not really desirable.
I have seen pics of people who got great results from the straw bale system, some in TX but most in states with more reliable rainfall. To me, it was quick and sort of instant but not superior or really significantly better. I had a couple plants fall out, roots and all as the bales sink in. Now I am wondering what to do with the decomposed bales...it will be a lot to clean up. I am thinking I can get a few fall/winter crops then use it as mulch or part of the compost pile.
C
I think if you bought the bales now and then let them sit until spring, you'd probably have some ready for then. I've seen lots of success with straw, but I just don't want to deal with it. You can add it to the compost pile. If it's alfalfa, it's great for the soil!
LOL I have enough rotting bales to work with now and don't want more. I am going to attempt to reuse the ones I have out now for one more fall or spring crop and then discard them for a more conventional set up.
C
Well, I have similar weather except more dry than Texas, so I just thought the same, that it would not do so well here. I do lasagna garden though, pretty successfully.