I found the bales I need but can't find the ammonium nitrate anywhere. The man at farm supply says to use the sulfate instead and let it sit for a week longer. Has anyone tried this?
Ammonium Nitrate -vs- Ammonium Sulfate
Yes, I think we all did. lol, nobody could find it. Some used Urea, like I did, 26-0-0, I think it is, some used lawn fert., blood meal, etc. To each his own.
Kent had a good article in a magazine and he gives the access to it in one of his posts. Go there for a lot of good info.
Jeanette
ccfromnc: I haven't heard anyone that has ever used ammonium sulphate report any negative comments.
If it's the only thing available, then you will be OK.
Southern States stores are the only ones in my area that seem to still carry the ammonium nitrate.
I leaning toward not using anything next year. Just keep my bales moist and allow a little more prep time.
I'm looking for some old sawdust piles to see if sawdust will work or some sort of combination of sawdust and the bales I'm using this year.
I'll need to construct some sort of trough, similar to what Doug used this year in comparing the bales with and without some sort of containment for the bales.
This message was edited Sep 11, 2008 7:37 PM
Kent I plan to do the same next year. Get the bales in Feb. and just let 'em decompose on their own. I am VERY satisfied with the results. The ones not enclosed caught up in height but not in bushiness or productivity with the others, however they both outperformed the ones in dirt. Thanx for getting me hooked!!!
Doug
Try hay!!
Hey Suz, you need to tell Sally that you saw Kent on this thread. Jeanette
Thanks so much - I'm going to try the "let em sit" method.
Doug did you use hay? Sorry, can't remember.
Jeanette
I plant in February here and mine has been sitting for 2 months now. I used one cup of blood meal on day one, just water since then. It is starting to get stinky, so I think it's doing alright!
LOL, 2nd Chance, did you stick your hand down in there to see if it got nice and warm???
Jeanette
Its too tight to stick my hand down into it. I don't think I could even get a spoon in it after 2 months. It's so dry here that it is hard to rot things!
tight to stick my hand down.
How can you smell it if it is too tight to get your hand in it? How are you going to plant anything in it if it is that tight? Has it gotten a lot of water? Has it rained a lot?
Jeanette
2nd chance: the key to getting these bales prepped is moisture in the bales. No matter where you are you have to keep the bales damp. If those bales are that tight I would just start from scratch and water those bales daily, about a gallon/bale.
I'm setting a sprinkler on it every day for about 30 minutes, the water runs out the bottom, so I know it is getting in there. It doesn't rain here, so that is not an option. This is my first bale, I thought I was supposed to cut a hole in the bale to plant the plug. I probably need some kind of bug or bacteria to get in there, eh?
No bugs needed!! If it stays wet it will naturally decompse and get soft on the inside. When it does you should be able to just spread apart a section with a garden trowel or something similar put the plant in the created "hole" and just close it back up with your hands. Good luck, I have become a bale "addict" thanks to Kent!!!
Doug
I have 4 more nmonths before planting, so I'll just keep watering it.
Doug: you definitely have a strong case of bale-itis! :-)
Kent you're the enabler!
Doug
so the idea is to get teh bales to breakdown or rot from inside -correct? smell???
LOL, decompose sounds better. But, yeah.
Jeanette
lol getting the idea now !!! thx
Ammonium Nitrate update:
My last, local source for the nitrate, Southern States, has quit selling the nitrate in bags. You can still get it in bulk purchases, i.e., by the ton, but for us bale gardeners that is not practical.
Southern States went with ammonium sulphate in 50 lb bags - 33.5-0-0 (NPK) which is what I'll be using this year.