Straw Bale Garden – Will Plants Survive?

Q: I started a straw bale garden by soaking it with water every day for 14 days and fertilizing with 10-10-10 every other day. When I went to plant it was only 80 degrees inside the bales but I dug holes out and planted anyway. There was some soil in there but most of it was still straw. Do you think the plants will make it?

A: Your vegetable plant roots need something around them a little more fine-textured than straw stems. The roots will quickly dry out if there’s no soil. If I were in your situation, I’d pull the plants out carefully, excavate a large hole for each one using a trowel, fill with planting soil, and put the plants in that.

  • Advertisement