Straw Bale Gardening is an innovative method of growing herbs, vegetables and flowers on straw, completely changing the traditional way of thinking about a home garden.American Joel Karsten is considered to be its creator and the greatest promoter.
You can grow virtually all vegetables on a straw cube in your garden. Potatoes, lettuce, peppers, leeks, kohlrabi and zucchini grow in this substrate. One-year-old herbs (e.g. basil) or grown as annuals (e.g. leaf parsley) mature wonderfully here. The straw substrate is suitable for both sowing and planting. Of course, plants grown from seedlings mature faster and give a more reliable yield.
Often one position can be filled twice. This is especially successful in the case of thermophilic fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and chili. The straw vegetable garden must be cared for like any other garden.First of all, the crops should be watered regularly.The straw substrate must never dry out, so it is a good idea to install even the simplest drip line.
When preparing the cube for cultivation, it should be abundantly supplied with organic or mineral fertilizers, later it is no longer necessary.The exception is the cultivation of vegetables with high nutritional requirements, such as potatoes or cabbage, which must be supplemented during the season.It is also worth doing this with tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. The yield will then be higher.
Tall vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as cucumbers and legumes, should be grown on supports. They are cared for in the same way as vegetables in the ground - it is necessary to remove side shoots and break leaves.A pleasant surprise is the absence of pests and fungal diseases.
For cultivation, the best cubes are 50x60x70 cm (height, width, length). Such a straw lump weighs approx. 6-8 kg, which makes it easy to arrange.Note - we use straw cubes, not hay cubes!This, due to its properties, does not fulfill the characteristics of a good substrate for plants.
The cubes are placed in rows, squares or a circle. Let's choose the variant that guarantees the most convenient access to crops.At the beginning, it is best to plan the cultivation in parallel rows spaced 80-100 cm apart.It is important that they are arranged on a north-south line, then the plants will be optimally sunlit. In mountainous terrain, the straw beds are placed transversely to the slope of the slope.
With time, the cubes may flake on the sides. Then they can be clad with boards or bricks, similar to traditional erected flower beds.After the season, i.e. after harvesting all the crops, compost the straw beds.The dice are placed with the cut side up. This is the side that is bristly. Leave the cords around the ankle aside, do not loosen them.
Preparation of cubes for cultivation
Before starting the cultivation, the cubes should be pre-composted. We start the work 4 weeks before the planned sowing or planting from a solid irrigation of the straw (10-15 l of water per cube) and a supply of nitrogen or multi-component fertilizer. For this purpose, we use organic fertilizer or nitrogen mineral fertilizersAfter feeding, we water again so that the nutrients flow down to the inside of the cube.
The process of matter decomposition begins, which lasts about 14 days. During these two weeks, we constantly water and feed the straw.In the second week, you should feel the characteristic ammonia smell accompanying the thermophilic composting phase.The composting process is necessary for cultivation, because thanks to microorganisms, the organic substance is broken down and the nutrients become available to the plants.
When the straw finally becomes odorless, we can start planting or sowing. Before that, put a 3-5 cm layer of garden soil or peat substrate on top of the cube. This will allow the plants to take root better in the straw substrate.The side walls of the cube do not need to be covered with soil. We can plant them with herbs.
Why is it worth setting up a straw garden
- The temperature inside the cube is higher than in the ground, which creates favorable conditions for the development of seedlings and seedlings.
- No weeds spread within the straw cube.
- Straw cubes are natural raised beds that facilitate the cultivation of plants, especially for people with reduced mobility.
- Regularly irrigated straw holds moisture well (but shorter than the soil or substrate).
- The straw cube does not absorb water excessively. When there is too much water, it is simply drained.
- The straw cube is not suitable for plant pests.
- Crops are infested sporadically by disease.
- Growing plants on a straw cube is cheap.
- Growing on cubes is possible even on concrete.
- After harvesting, straw can be used for compost.
