Questions for the Straw Bale Gardener...

Hello Everyone,
I'm new to gardening and have decided to grow some things in straw bales after reading some very interesting articles about it. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and basically have hard red clay for soil. I planted tomatoes, okra, squash, cucumbers and bell peppers. They have all been planted about 45 to 50 days now. The plants are very healthy and seem to be coming along nicely. I just have a few questions for anyone that can help:

1. Do I need to somehow support the squash plants as they start to spill over the edge of the bales?

2. Everytime I water at night I wake up to find a huge crop of mushrooms (that I didn't plant) growing from the bales. There are two different types (tall, mushy, black tar ones and short, stubby, cone shaped ones) I've been pulling them out. Where did they come from? and Will they hurt the plants?

3. I have seen slugs at night. Should I do the beer in the tin trick to drown them?

4. Something is eating the new growth out of the top of the bellpepper plant. I never see any bugs or anything. I have sevin dust on everything and it seems to be doing a great job keeping the pests away from everything except the bell peppers. Any ideas?

5. The wet bales seem to be a new breeding ground for mosquitos. Is there anything I can spray on them that won't hurt the plants or my dogs?

I know I'm asking alot, but if anyone could help me I'd greatly appreciate it.
God Bless,
Tina

Hi Tina,

I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I'll give them a try:

1. No, squash don't need any support in the bales.

2. My bales often have mushrooms, whether I water at night or during the day. I don't know where they come from. Everyone gardening in straw bales has the mushrooms. No, they won't hurt anything.

3. Slugs can devastate your plants, so you need to get rid of them. I haven't had that problem so far, so I don't much much about getting rid of them. Put a new thread in this forum asking about how to get rid of slugs.

4. I don't know the answer to this one, could be the slugs. Again, put this "bugs in the bell peppers" question in its own thread in this forum. It would be helpful to post a photo of the damage along with your question. Someone will be able to advise you.

5. I haven't had any extra problems with mosquitoes because of the bales nor have I heard of anyone else mentioning it either. I purchased a garlic product that you spray all over your yard. It is fairly cheap and it really works for mosquitoes. It keeps our yard clear of them for about two months at a time. You would need to apply it with a tank-type sprayer, which I think can be purchased for about $15-20. If you want the name, let me know. I'll look it up for you.

I hope this helps you.

Karen

I'm no expert but I will tell you what has helped me.

1) My squash did need support. I used tomato cages but the cages lost their footing as the bales deteriorated. I lost my sqash plants this year but I was planning to tie them to the trellis like the tomatos.

2) The mushrooms won't hurt a thing.

3) Absolutely! Get rid of the slugs ASAP or you will have NO peppers left.

4) It is the slugs. I had the same problem last year and lost every single plant.

5) We have very few mosquitoes here but I know all about them having been born and raised in South La. I wouldn't think the bales would attract any more mosquitoes than your lawn would on it's own. The bales are moist but do not hold pooled water which is what the mosquitoes need to lay eggs in.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your bale garden. It is addicting!

cajun:

Is your squash a vining type? I assume you don't have the room to just let them sprawl on the ground. Mine are bush-type and just hang over the edges of the bales.

My cantaloupes and watermelons are vining, but I just let them go out onto the ground without support. They were doing great until night before last when Bambi's big sister paid us a visit. Right now, they are long vines with 1" stubs where the leaves used to be. Getting some fencing material to put around them tomorrow and hope that we can keep her away from what is left and maybe they will come back. Wouldn't you know it -- she only ate the special expensive ones that I paid a lot for the plants. The cheap ones I grew from seed she ignored. She also apparently has no interest in squash, pumpkins, cucumbers or gourds. LOL.


Karen

glendalekid
No, mine were regular straightneck squash. I had tem caged to help support them and to help with space. Quarters were cramped a bit. The problem was it all got a bit top heavy and the bale was decomposing so well it all fell out the side of the bale.

Sorry about the deer. I know that is frustrating. Likely she ate her fill of the cheap stuff at someone else's house. LOL

Thanks again for all the awesome advice. I know I'm in the right place. Karen, if you don't mind looking, I would love to know what that garlic product is for mosquitos. They are the worst this year.

The hardest thing for me right now is the wait. Who knew it took so long before seeing the end product. It has been a real lesson in patience. I love to go out every morning and see the new progress. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again and God Bless!
Tina

Hi Tina,

Here's the link to it. They say it keeps mosquitoes away for a month -- we found that it works for about two months-- and our mosquito problem is very bad. There is a recipe that comes with it. After you mix it up, put it in a tank-type sprayer to apply it. Your neighborhood will smell like pizza for several hours after you spray.

http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/


Karen

Thanks for that info. I really appreciate it once again.

I think we are developing a sort of pen pal thing here. It's fun. Hope you have a great weekend.
Tina

Thanks, Tina.

You, too.

Karen