Is that all? At least you wear a robe. I just do the gown. Airstreams are great. I would love to redo an old one for road trips. We have a group of ladies in this area that redo old trailers and go out on the road camping. They paint the outside with various art and it is great. As for my dogs "I have 5 " two outside when Im not home. UPS driver decided to open drive through gate to make a delivery. He got out and my dog got in his truck and would not let him back in. He called the sheriff. My neighbor heard it on her scanner and called me at work 40 miles away. She says "Frankie has taken over a UPS truck. You need to come home" .They waited till I got home to get the truck. The NO Trespassing sign does work. Now they pull to the gate and honk..The dog was doing nothing wrong!
As for mulch I have two mountains the electric company tree trimmers left me down by the road. Spring Break some kids took their grandads golf cart out in the night and thought they could drive over the mulch. I loved that one. As for pay back on dynamite I would blare Green Acres is the place to be. Farm livin is the life for me. At sunrise for days on of course. Good Luck P.S. I am kinda known also.
Straw Bale Gardening (Part 8)
Hey Shoe, how you doin'? You sure do get around now don't you? Every once in a while I take a look at other forums, and by golly, there you are. Puttin' in your 2 cents worth!! It's fun to see what advice you are offering to the other folks around. Keep it up. Love it. (It's always good advice too)
Late night in the strawbales are kinda fun aren't they?
Jeanette
Howdy jnette...nice to see you, too. I don't get around to as many forums as I used to but still give it a try from time to time!
My daughter's school will be planting in their bales soon (at least they are calling me for plants to do so already!). Should be a great time for them, eh?
Happy day to all!
Shoe.
I am on day 8 of my prep time. First 3 days I just watered each day, 4th day I put a cup of bone meal on each bale and watered. Day 5 I just watered and day 6 I put half a cup of bone meal and watered. Day 7 I just watered and today I put half a cup per bale and watered. Before I treated today I took the temp of each bale and they ranged from 70 to a hundred degrees F. If there is any pattern it is that they are hotter at the NNW corner and cooler at the SSE corner. I somehow expected them to be further along in the decomposition stages. Are my expectations off? Is this the "norm"? Has anybody thought of how funny we look to old time farmers out there with our grass shears giving our bales a haircut? Here are my 9 bales, green hair and all!
This message was edited Mar 30, 2007 7:36 PM
Sandie, that is so funny. The way you took the picture it looks like a regualr bed. I never did take the temps of my beds last year but I would be pretty pleased with the ones you got. Especially using straight bonemeal.
Kent will probably be along soon and tell you what to expect from here on. I would think that they would get possibly a little warmer, not sure, and then cool off to plant.
One thing I was surprised by, and maybe Kent will know why, is that today I took last years bales apart to put them on the compost, and they weren't really very decomposed. After all that time and all the tomatoes I got off of them. But they weren't solid enough to re-use this year.
What kind of straw do you have Sandie? Oats, Wheat, or??? Or do you know?
Shoe, how old is your daughter? That is one thing that I think would be fun is working with the school kids in their raised beds. Have fun!!
Jeanette
I think they're wheat but of course when I went looking through my notes I couldn't find that info. I am gradually copying my notes in to my diary on DG so I can't lose the darn things. Hopefully I'll figure it out. That really is warm enough? I thought they got much hotter before cooling down.
I'm in an area where ammonium nitrate is not accessible(Western NC mountains) so bone meal seemed my best option. The garden is too close to the house for me to want to work with fish emulsion.
Sandie - You might want to try blood meal, it will work much faster then bone meal because of the higher nitrogen content. Most Walmart stores carry it in 5 pound boxes.
Red
Bone meal? I thought it was supposed to be blood meal, that is what I put on mine today.
Anybody planted onions directly in the bales? I heard some had success with onions, but I don't know whether to put the onion sets directly in the bales, or plant them in some dirt first.
Mary - Yup, blood meal is right!
I tried onions last year planted directly in the bales, plant them deep. They started off super but died down prematurely, I think the bales dried out too quickly. I only got half size onions.
Red
Sandie,
I'm in Upstate SC, and I used blood meal. I got it at Walmart, and while there is some, ah, "aroma" it isn't too bad . It's been very effective, and I think next week (depending on the weather, of course) will see me starting to plant in them. The "last frost" date is still 2 weeks away, but I think it's safe, and I'll be able to cover if need be.
Margo
I miss typed. I'm using blood meal not bone meal. Sorry about the mistake. Temps today are between 72 and 84 degrees F. Many of my seedlings are out in a portable greenhouse in a protected part of the yard to begin to harden off. I'm keeping a close eye on weather temps.
This message was edited Mar 31, 2007 5:40 PM
Well, I went ahead and set my bales out today. One of neighbor's kids helped me get my trellis set up, and with the great weather today, I decided to get the bales going. No hurry to plant, but I'll watch the long range forecasts through the middle of April and go from there.
Planting string sides down this year for the first time. No reason, just being different.
Around 60 bales this year. Got 4 under the shelter I never got to.
Sandie: I'm not sure what makes some bales "cook" better than others. I had some bales last year that were 30 - 40 degrees different.
Just lined bales up the bales up this afternoon. 7 in each row and one in the end in the middle. for a total of 15 bales. Next I stuck 1/2" pvc pipe in the strings of each bale, outside strings. bent the pvc over to the other row and put in the outer strings. Thus making a mini row cover frame, to cover both rows , after I set plants out.
I will use 6 mill clear plastic for the cover.
I spread the Blood meal on the bales. but stoped there, as it started to storm. Rain and hail. Oh well I didn't mind. The good Lord decided to do the watering for me. Glad I didn't have anything out other than the garlic that had been out all winter, as the garden turned white from the hail. I guess I can say it's a start.
Still need to put the posts in for the cattle panels, for the cukes and the maters.
It's still early here, however with the row cover, as soon as the bales cook. I can start seting out some maters. This all new to me, but I like the idea.
I think I finally figured out why my bales didn't get hot -- although they did decompose fine. I was trying to water them "until the water ran out the bottom" which it never did. It ran out the middle, but not the bottom. So, I think what I did was water my ammonium nitrate right out of the bales. Maybe that's why the weeds around the bales look so happy.
I have 8 more bales to cook. Going to try a little different method this time. Water the bales thoroughly, then put on the ammonium nitrate, then water the AN in until it melts into the bales, and stop watering at that point. I'll see if I this helps the bales to get hot.
Kent, what kind of wire is that you've used for your trellis/support system?
Randbponder, do you have a photo you can post?
Gwen
I got my hoophouse put together this weekend except for the ends. I took the bales from last year and am using them in the compost pile. I still don't have my bales as I am waiting for the local feed store to get them in. Her husband has another job so he has to go get them when he can.
The other place has bales but they are 3 string, so that tells me they are bigger than I want. Rand, I used 4 mil plastic on my hoophouse. I wonder what the difference will be other than, of course, 2 mil. LOL
Yes, Rand, Gwen asked that you post a picture. I am very curious. I will also when I get out to do it. Can I ask you Rand, why you did not use cattle panels rather than the pvc? Sure is fun the different things people are doing.
Jeanette
Gwen & Jeanette
I did take a picture, but with the thunder storm I unpluged our computer so did not down load any pics yet.
also The pvc is just a temporary thing to protect the tomato & pepper plants untill after our last frost date. and to help harden them off to withstand the temp changes and the wind. I will put up the cattle panels , after the last frost.
What my plan is, I will set the panels on top of the bales, attached to the posts on each end of the tomatoes. If I need to stake the peppers I have some rebar that should work for that job. Also looking back at one of Kents pics where the tomatoes made an arch, where he used, I think concrete wire . I have some left over hog wire, ( not as stiff as concrete wire) I will arch that from one row to the other, and I will once again use the pvc pipes to help hold the arch so the weight of the maters won't colapse the wire. I will have a 2x6 at the top of the cattle panels to hold the ends of the pvc pipes. I know a picture is worth a thousand words. so when I can get the posts put in and the boards up I will get pics of that also. The pics of bales and the pvc hoops, I should have down loaded later today.
I was trying to work ahead of the storm and now am thinking I could still go ahead put up the cattle panels. and use the bottom of the panel to hold the pipes for the mini dome. that would also work. Also the reason for a mini dome is less area to heat up . and easier hold the ground heat over night.
If I had tomatoes out last night they would have needed all the help they could get as it is now 8:15 and the temp is still 37 degrees, not too good for a young tender plant.
Funny there Rand, your weather seems to be a mirror of ours.
Jeanette
OK Church, Sunday School and Birthday party for 2 of our one year old great grand children, are all taken care of. Almost need a nap. lol
Now to see if I downloaded the pics, just two . one is a side view the other looks down the rows.
And one more looking down the rows.
But as I said I may go ahead and put the posts in and get the panels up before the bales have cooked. The rain did soak most of the bloodmeal into the bales. I think I will just wait till tomorrow to water it in the rest of the way. It may rain more tonight.
Oh also I guess we could call this the rip and tear part of the birthday party LOL
Gwen: I used concrete re-inforcing wire (I typed "wife" to begin with...wonder what that means?).
It was a 100 ft roll and 5 ft wide.
Dog wire, hog wire, most anything will do as long as it's supported firmly.
I liked the concrete wire because of the 6 inch holes.
Jeanette loves those cattle panels.
Rand: not many squirrels in your area, are there?
I want that Bobcat for about 1 week! :-)
Speaking of PVC, are there any sprinkler-type gadgets you can buy to insert into a pipe rigged over a bale to help water?
Finally, when do ya'll want to start Part 9? We're in the 100's now.
Someone with dial up say the word and I'll get it going.
Kent
This message was edited Apr 1, 2007 5:41 PM
Rand: I love seeing kids have fun. Rip and tear was the fun part!!
We seem to be online alot at the same time.
Kent
I have access to all kinds of. farm service, hardware, nurseries an so on. Just have to make the trip to the city. 25 miles away.
Between those stores I can come up with most any thing needed, of course I like to make some things my self. For several years I've been thinking it would be nice to have an irrigation system for the garden. I have several water tanks that I can use for holding tanks for water from the pond, to water the garden. Not too hard to figure out, but getting my ducks in a row is sometimes a problem. It seems that a few people know it's hard for me to say no. So I end up doing a lot of plumbing and electrical work, fixing some kind of gadget or another, instead of getting my stuff done. Oh well retirement really isn't boring. Now if I can throw fishing into the mix I'll be all set ha ha ha
Now as for the skid loader we could get into a skuffel over that. he he
Are you kidding about the squirrels. I have 5 walnut trees still alive, one got hit by lightning and blew bark all over the yard. I will be happy to get that one cut down as that one is / was at the one end of the garden. So that and the old shed and inclosure I had for chickens will be gone. Then I can square off the garden and that end of the garden will probably be used for the straw bales for a while as that ground don't grow some things very well because of the walnut tree.
Don't have my rain guage out yet but just heard that yesterdays rain was 2-1/4" That should have been a pretty good watering for the bales. The weather man is still cursing, he said we could have some "white rain" on Tuesday.
Fun fun
Russ
Russ, I just read a post about walnut trees and what they put out to discourage other plants from growing. I hate to be the one to tell ya but it says the roots will continue putting out that chemical for years :~( I'm pretty sure it's in the trees and shrubs forum. Tomatoes was one of the plants sensitive to the chemical the black walnut puts out.
Lana
Yeah I know that is why I thought that end would be for the straw bale garden. although there are quite a few flowers that do well under a walnut. but after a few years I would think that with the natural course of nature, like surface water soaking in and earth worm activity that eventually the top soil would clear up.
Somewhere in all the material I have looked up I have a list of plants that do well under a walnut. and no tomatoes is not one! lol
I have a ring around another walnut that I have as a partial shade garden. here is that pic, with corelbells, hostas, EEs, and even some jack in pulpit.
Glad you've planned ahead :~)
Now isn't it nice to be able to write "Russ" instead of rand. I see what it is now, Russ and b (not sure what that is for) Ponder. Tell us who b is Russ. Betty? LOL
Except I do have a problem. I thought I sent the melon seeds to a lady??? I would have to go back to either the last part, or to my D-mail. So, tell me Russ.
Jeanette
Ah Jeanette You did. The B part of this partnership uses this as much as I do.
In fact sometimes ( says something ) if she don't get her share of time on here. ha ha ha. But we did discuss weither or not to ask for the mellon seeds. So if sometimes you see it is signed with a B that is Barbara. We are both 70. I do most of the gardening, an I listen to her as what not to plantl LOL She hates shelling peas. so I don't plant too many. If you were able to come to the IARU in Cedar Rapids you could meet both of us. I guess you could say I'm the one that don't know how to spell some words and have trouble with commas. Sometimes she will tease me and ask, now who are you writing to?
The name is what DG gave us. R/and/B/ ponder. as we have a pond right off our patio. And yes I talk to the ladies as well as the men. I will even joke with either. Barb is a little more shy. but we get along great. Some times we sit together by this thing and just enjoy what someone else has done in their garden.
Hope we didn't confuse you too much. Russ
Jeanette: I was thinking the same thing about using "rand". Glad we cleared that up. It's Russ and Barbara from here on out.
Russ: The pic with the bales in the back yard and the almost treeless hill side threw me. Figured the whole countryside was like that, but I see quite a few trees from your last pic.
All: Bought some ammonium nitrate from Southern States today; the product's made by Green Charger Fertilizer Co, Richmond VA, 1-804-281-1000. 50 # bag about 10 bucks
My usual source didn't have any this year; said he couldn't get any; he had ammonium sulphate, but I'm not familiar with that, and I'm totally happy with the nitrate.
Anyway, I called another source who swore he had ammonium nitrate, but when I got to the store, it was ammonium sulphate. He chirped up his "expert" who said that you couldn't get ammonium nitrate any more, that "they" quit making it. You gotta watch those "experts".
That's when I went by Southern States who had plenty of the nitrate.
Now get this, the clerk requested my driver's license, which is no big deal because I know nitrate is regulated now. The cash register program wouldn't even let the clerk proceed with the transaction until she entered my name, address, etc.
Well, guess where the nitrate was stored? Outside the building next to all the other mulch and fertlizer products under NO supervision.
My point is that with all the rhetoric about how "bad" ammonium nitrate is and how you have to track the folks who buy it, but yet it's non-chalantly stored in an unsecure area.
Well, that's my little rant for the day.
Got to go pick up my daughter from school.
I'll start a new thread later on today.
Kent
Hey Russ/Barb, you didn't explain why you had to discuss asking for the melon seeds. Did you think you didn't want to try them? I do hope you like them.
And Kent, I too was wondering about the trees, or lack thereof. But that beautiful EE took the place of several. LOL I really like those things. Russ do you have to take them in in the winter? I suppose. Sure would like to make the IARU and meet you folks, but it is a bit out of the way goin' in to town.
Interesting about the ammonium nitrate Kent. That is what they told me also when I was trying to get some at the feedstore last year. Like it was some big deal to give them the info. (probably just use it for mailing lists for ads anyway) Got a kick out of the storage.
All: continue our discussion at Part 9: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/708629/
Kent
Hey All!
Kent, i saw your article in Carolina Country..... it gave me hope. I'm a 71 year old transplant patient & the soil is toxic to me because of the mychorrhysal (sp)fungi. I stay immune deficient & I thought I would have to give up my beloved gardening.....my son Rob is helpful, but I can't pull weeds or plant in the soil(he does that part), but I can water, feed, tie-up, & baby those plants all I want.....straw bale sounds perfect...Could I put an edging of newspaper or weed cloth just around & slightly under the bales to keep from having to trim?
I will follow your directions from the article & have a great place for the bales, I'm starting with 9...it is not too late to start preparing them I hope.......I am South of Charlotte, near the SC state line.......
You sound like a wonderful bunch of folks & I'm thrilled to have found you....
Getting a new heart was great, but it was hard having the most fun thing in my life taken from me.....wish me luck!
Jump to Part 9 for new posts: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/708629/
Kent