Considering a Straw Bale Garden

It's that time of year again. The time when I pour over seed catalogs and dream of boundless harvests after an idyllic summer of warm sunshine and soft rainfall. I dream of a fantastic harvest of a wide variety of vegetables with visions of endless fresh veggies and plenty left over to preserve. If you are a homesteader or dream of being a homesteader, I bet you are doing this too.

This year will be my 3rd summer in Oklahoma. On my homestead plan this is the year of the garden. I have a vision of how my garden will ultimately look, however my budget prevents me from buying the galvanized stock tanks ($70 each x 15) the plan calls for. I am not willing to give up my vision, so I decided to explore some other, less costly options until I then.

1. I could grow my garden in bags. Yes, bags. This is a form of container gardening I have considered in the past, but dismiss because I don't like the look very much. 
2. I could just slap together some wood and form some beds, but then I still have to fill them with soil (costly) and then when I am finished with them I will have to find a way to move all that soil. Not the way I want to spend my energy. Too much labor with too little reward.
3. Thirdly, I can use what I have on hand. I have lots of straw bales on hand. Bingo. 

Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten

Straw bale gardening is a form of container gardening. You basically prepare your bales by fertilizing and watering, then when ready, just poke a hole into the straw, put some soil in the hole, plant your seed, and keep the bale watered and fertilized. The bale will decompose over time and the plants will flourish. Use good straw bales and you won't even have to weed! Mind you this is a very simplified explanation, but have no worries, I will explain the entire process with pictures when I begin. You, dear reader, can follow along on my adventure and we can see if it will work.

Interested? Intrigued? Interested in trying straw bale gardening at your place?

You can read a great article about straw bale gardening written by Mary Yee here that gives a good overview of the process and has anecdotal information from the American Horticultural Society's attempt at a straw bale garden in Virginia.

You should also get a copy of  Joel Karsten's book (he is the guy who wrote the book on this process literally) Straw Bale Gardens Complete: Breakthrough Vegetable Gardening Method. This book is the straw bale garden bible!

Currently I use my straw bales to insulate my tiny house against wicked cold winter winds, but soon winter will be over and I will drag the bales out to the open sunny spot where the garden is planned. I have 10 bales at this time and will pick up another 10. I figure 20 bales is a decent sized garden. By the way, 20 bales of straw is just $140. Fertilizer and a couple good size bags of garden soil is all I will need. How budget friendly is that?!!

Bring on Spring cause this gal is ready to grow stuff!

Planning a Homestead Garden Part 2: Raised Beds

Now that you have perused the seed catalogs and have an idea of what you want to plant, the second step in planning my garden is to build raised beds. My land here in Oklahoma is good and rich, but weeds and invasive plants can be a real issue when planting directly in the soil. To make things easier, I will be building raised beds. There are a multitude of raised bed kits that can be purchased, but I am on a limited budget, so I will be building my own raised bed frames from purchased, untreated lumber.

Lumber in Oklahoma does not hold up long to the seasons without being painted or pressure treated, but because I don't want any chemicals leaching into my soil and being absorbed by the plants we intend to eat, I choose plain old boards and will replace them over time. If I get 5 or 6 years out of the beds, I am ahead of the curve. Building raised beds is actually quite simple. Rather than try to describe the process, I am just going to show this video which nicely explains how to build them.

I will be building about 15 of these beds. The lumber is a nominal cost. It is the soil to fill it the first time that is going to really cost me. I will line the box with a weed barrier to block rogue growth of stuff from the ground underneath before filling each frame. I will also add hardware cloth underneath and extending out a bit on all sides to keep critters from enjoying my harvest before I do. 

I drew a rough diagram of my little hilltop where I have my tiny house. I decided to do all my gardening up here and put my animals on the lower 2 acres. Primarily I did this for ease of harvest and as a method of landscaping around my buildings. I like that I can always move the beds if I choose to do so, but keep in mind the dirt will have to be shoveled out and moved as well. 

In between the beds I am going to put down either rock, crushed oyster shell, or maybe even shredded recycled tires. I am not sure how easy it will be to get crushed oyster in Oklahoma, so I am guessing I will be using rock or shredded tires, but hey a gal can dream. 

Step 3 will be building a rich, thick soil to feed the plants and get the best yield.

To recap: Make a materials list of what you will need to build your beds, build them, lay them where you want them. Simple as can be, right? This is a also a great project to get the kids in on! 

Don't want to build your own raised beds? Here is a great option you may choose: 

4 X 4 Raised Garden Bed by Lifetime

This raised garden bed by Lifetime is 4' x 4' and just snaps together. It is an attractive alternative to wood and would enhance landscaping. Just quickly assemble and fill with soil. You are ready to go. 

Do you have another way to build raised beds to share? Have some pictures for inspiration? Add them to the comments below. 

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Hanging with My Gnomies

Ok, you have got to check out this garden gnome I received as a gift this holiday: 

Isn't he a hoot? This is called Garden Massacre. I just love him! Of course being the curious sort, I decided to find out how having gnomes in the garden got started. 

Wikipedia tells me garden gnomes started as garden dwarfs in the 19th century in Germany. They are a spin off of garden statuary from the Renaissance period. Eventually they were called garden gnomes around 1930. 

Gnomes are a fun item to add to your garden and I can't wait to see my little statue in my garden this spring. I poked around on Amazon and found a couple of other gnomes that are fun. 

Zen Garden Gnome

This guy looks totally relaxed. 

Mooning Garden Gnome

This guys is up to no good. I like him!

Gnomeland Security

If the one above gets too "cheeky" you can call in Gnomeland Security to take care of him.

Say Hello to My Little Friend

All I can say to this one is, "Oh my!"

Peek-a-Boo Solar Light

Need a little light in your garden? Let this little guy help light your way with his solar light.

Sweet Lantern Gnome

Let this sweet guy guide the way with his solar lantern.

Gnome Rain Gauge

Finally, there is this practical little gnome rain gauge. Cute huh? 

No garden would be complete without a gnome. I just love my new gnome and for now he will sit on a shelf inside my house. It will be fun to see him in the garden each day.

Do you have a gnome? Share with us in the comments below.