Straw Bale Gardening
Straw Bale Gardening
by Joel Karsten Straw Bale Gardens 28/01/2026
“Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes “conditioned” compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started two weeks prior to your target planting date wherever you are located. This gardening technique works well anywhere in the country or the world for that matter.” – Joel Karsten
148-Gardening in Straw Bales: An Easy & Inexpensive Solution to Make Growing Food More Accessible for All
Joel Karsten literally wrote the book on gardening in straw bales. It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that was true for Joel. He grew up on a dairy farm in southwest Minnesota and, as a child, noticed how robustly thistles would grow out of broken bales left near the family barn. Joel also noticed that the bales would decompose into a rich soil-like material.
Eventually, Joel earned a degree in horticulture from the University of Minnesota, so when he bought his first home, he was eager to grow a garden. The problem was that the property was built on fill dirt. Having just spent all his money to buy the home, Joel didn’t have money to build raised beds or bring in lots of quality soil or amendments to get started.
What is Straw Bale Gardening?
“Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes “conditioned” compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started two weeks prior to your target planting date wherever you are located. This gardening technique works well anywhere in the country or the world for that matter.” – Joel Karsten
Straw bale gardening is easy, affordable and fun for kids!
Use a sharp cutting tool typically used for sawing trees or wood. Be sure to keep the tool safe from young children if working on a straw bale garden with youth. This process takes some time and strength so trade off the sawing if you have another adult handy.
Straw Bale Gardening
by Default Name 19/8/13 YouTube
My very own, first hand experience has shown me that this is just a novelty, a hyped-up get-rich-quick scheme. It promises ease of care for the disabled and convenience to those who live in urban areas. I'm just a beginner gardener who's excited about this hobby and willing to learn all that I can. This spring, we bought 24 bales and began our new straw bale garden. Four months later, these are my conclusions: Straw bales dry out very, very quickly. Karsten instructs, "one gallon dose of water per bale, per application, when needed". And, "over-watering flushes the system of nutrients and bacteria". I learned that Master Gardeners recommended that plants should receive 1" of water per week. That is 0.623 gallons per square foot of garden. So, my twenty-four bales (3 square feet each) should get 45 gallons a week. Initially, I tried that. The bales dried out too fast and my plants wilted. Eventually, I gave them enough to keep them healthy, which equates to 84 gallons per week. Almost twice the amount needed for an earthen garden! But, still, my dosages of 12 gallons per day was only 1/2 gallon per bale, which is 50% less than Karsten recommends per dosage. This high water usage meant higher water bills. Chlorinated tap water kills bacteria- something never mentioned by Karsten. New, freshly "conditioned" straw is a fledgling system. It needs beneficial bacteria to multiply and thrive in order for the plants to flourish. Watering my bales with tap water was, in essence, killing the system and starving my plants. Every time I watered, the good stuff works down and away from my plants, and the chlorine sterilizes the upper-third of the bale. We switched to rain water and dechlorinated water- it's helping.
Straw bale gardening is rapidly turning into a trend, but it did not grab my attention until I learned that a much-admired vegetable gardener in my neighborhood had taken it up. Not only had she taken it up, she’d had great success with it. Then it came to my attention that a couple other gardeners I know had been straw-bale gardening. Why had these gardeners made the switch? As you’ll see from the interviews summarized below, there were some pretty compelling reasons.
Secrets of Straw Bale Gardening
Wow! What a fantastic weekend we just had here in Washington! Farmers and gardeners alike were out in the beautiful sunshine, planting their first crops or at least preparing their ground. I know I got a little more sun than I should have, but I loved every minute of it!
One of the first things I did this weekend was teach a class on straw bale gardening (SBG) for the WSU Master Gardener Program of Thurston County. I’m a big advocate of gardening in straw bales and I love seeing the wonder in the eyes of people as they learn that they can actually grow their vegetable garden in straw bales!
Growing Vegetables in Straw Bales
by Craig LeHoullier 14/9/23 GARDENER'S SUPPLY COMPANY
Consider the humble bale of straw. Think beyond its reputation as a Halloween decoration and picture it as a productive part of your garden. The concept is simple: As the straw begins to break down, it turns into a rich, compostable planter that's ideal for growing vegetables.
Although the practice of gardening in straw bales dates back to ancient times, I learned of it only a decade ago during a chance encounter with a local straw-bale guru, Kent Rogers. When my publisher asked me to write about straw-bale gardening, I tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results.
Straw Bale Garden - Tips?
There is this book Marvelous Abudance and they did the old Parisian market garden of heaping fresh manure and surrounding it with bales and planting into the bales. They had great success, if my memory serves me right. Paris did, over a hundred years prior. Hotbed method.
Also I have read that getting your hay far in advance and letting it rot will kill off the weed seed, leaving you with a tight bound moveable-plantable compost. Reminds me of the Ruth Stout method too, which I have had work for us.
How to Condition and Plant a Bale of Straw for Gardening
Once that bale gets wet (details below), it'll grow much heavier and harder to move, so make sure it's where you want it to stay. If you pick a grassy area, put several layers of newspaper or a piece of cardboard underneath to keep grass and weeds from growing up into the bale. Or, if you want to give your bale a more polished, upscale look, consider building a simple, handsome frame to hold it. Ours (pictured above) has casters on the bottom for easy movement, making it perfect for a deck or patio. Use these step-by-step directions to build our Straw Bale Frame. (Tip: You'll want to condition the bale nearby before you put it in the frame, to avoid getting conditioning-related runoff on your deck.)
Beginner's Guide to Straw Bale Gardening
What is straw bale gardening? Straw bales can be used like raised beds in the yard so that no additional soil is needed. There is a difference between straw and hay, so you’ll want to use straw bales, not hay bales, if possible. Hay is grass and straw is stalk — think grains like barley and wheat after the harvest instead of dried grass.
The bales must be conditioned so that they can act as a growing medium, but once that’s accomplished, you’re good to plant. Just make sure that your straw bales are placed in a bright, sunny location and kept well-watered. If you do, you can grow almost anything in straw bales.
How to Build a Straw Bale Garden
by Nicole Cotroneo Jolly 16/7/13 Modern Farmer
When I moved into my new Philadelphia rowhouse, I was determined to grow the vegetable garden that had eluded me all those years in a cramped Manhattan apartment. But reality struck with the first thrust of my shovel: my soil — a cocktail of concrete shards and construction debris mixed with a bit of sand and dirt — was useless.
What is a straw bale garden?
A straw or hay bale garden is a gardening method used for
raising vegetables, herbs, and flowers directly on a bale. Straw or hay bales from alfalfa, wheat, oats, rye, or other cereals are suitable for making a garden bed. Straw bales are preferable over hay because hay bales contain more weed and grass seeds. The bale should be tight and held together with 2-3 strands of plastic baling twine—preferably made from a biodegradable material such as jute and sisal (Figure 1). Biodegradable twines should be positioned parallel to the ground to avoid their hastened decomposition.
Straw bale gardening: no weeding, no hoeing, no tilling
If you make more than one row of bales, put them wide enough apart so your lawnmower can get between them. And because you'll be watering them, I recommend placing the bales where the water will drain away from your house or away from where you'll be walking.
Straw Bale Gardening with Joel Karsten
I love trying new things in the garden. Every year, I get to pick something new to try! This year, I am trying straw bale gardening, but it almost didn’t happen. Thankfully, I was able to connect with Joel Karsten, the pioneer of the Straw Bale Gardening method, who gave me some great tips for getting started. Today, I get to share my conversation with Joel and I know you’ll love it as much as I did.
Grow Vegetables in Straw Bales
by Steven Biggs Food Garden Life
Conditioning means kick starting the microbial action. And you know when it’s working because as the microbes start to break down the straw, the temperature inside the bale goes up. We don’t plant in it yet…it might be too warm for our plants.
Straw Bale Gardening
by EMILY LEVAN Community Forum
Straw bale gardening involves using decomposing straw bales as a growing medium for plants. The bales are conditioned over a period of time, transforming them into nutrient-rich material that mimics the qualities of fertile soil. This gardening method is particularly appealing to those with poor soil quality, limited space, or physical challenges that make traditional gardening difficult.
Straw Bale Gardening
Although straw bale gardening is an ancient practice, it has become a trending gardening technique in the last several years. Straw bale gardens are inexpensive to set up and suited for locations with limited space. The use of a straw bale raises the garden off the ground making it more accessible to individuals with limited mobility or for those wishing to do less bending in the garden. Additional advantages of this technique include easier relocation of the garden space if necessary and the recycling of rich organic material into the landscape once the bale has out lived its use. Straw bale gardening is easily detailed in a few basic steps.
The start of this years straw bale garden
by Thread starterTheGeoSquirrel 27/4/16 bushcraftUSA
This is the start of this years straw bale garden. There are two rows of 12 bales each. The rows are 6 bales long nd 2 bales wide. The area the garden takes up is approx 10 by 20 ft. I am in the process of seasoning the bales at present. The seasoning process involves putting approx 1 cup of high nitrogen fertilizer on each bale and watering it in once a day for 10 days. My bales will be ready to plant in this coming weekend. Before I plant I will put about 3 to 4 inches of garden soil on the tops of the bales then put my soaker hoses on top of that. I will then plant both seeds and already started plants. I havent decided what I am planting this year but in the past several years I have planted green beans, tomatoes, green chili, bell peppers, okra, kholrabi, spinach, lettuce, kale, swiss chard, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, and eggplant.
I will know more towards the end of the week as far as to what is being planted this year. My intention is to continue to add to this thread as I progress with the planting growing and harvesting over this summer. I will also post some pictures of previous years straw bale gardens as I find them. This has been by far one of the easiest, most productive types of gardens I have ever done. What makes it so great is its simple, can be done almost any where, on level or incline, little or no weeding, conserves water, little or no bending over, and the yield has been great I don't think I will ever dig another garden for vegetables as long as I live.
Straw Bale Gardening Instructions and How it Works
by Marissa AmesCategories 25/2/19 COUNTRYSIDE
I didn’t believe it. Though straw bale gardening instructions sat before me, I was skeptical. I compost. Plant in the ground. Nourish my soil with probiotics. Nobody could convince me it worked until I saw it in practice. And I was immediately converted.
The concept developed of necessity: Joel had no arable soil. He grew up on a farm, acquired a horticultural degree, then bought a home of his own. Too late, he discovered he could not plant where he had landed. It seemed he had two options: spend hundreds of dollars to build raised beds and fill them with soil, while still paying off student loans and a mortgage. Or just not grow his food.
Straw Bale Gardening
by Dani Carroll 5/11/21 extension
Straw bale gardening is simply planting vegetables into a straw bale that has been conditioned or gone through a composting phase. This method may be beneficial for sites with poor soil or without enough space for a traditional garden. Straw bales can be used to grow vegetables on driveways, porches, or anywhere they will get full sun and water. Gardeners who have limited mobility or those who find it hard to use traditional tools, such as a shovel or hoe, may prefer straw bale gardening.
The bale preparation process takes a few weeks. Once conditioned, and with proper planning, planting, and maintenance, your straw bale can deliver delicious produce, possibly for more than one growing season.
Grow a straw bale garden
by Kent Rogers 3/13 Carolina country
To transplant your veggies into the bales, use a trowel to help make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf. I like adding some potting mix to chink the crack around the plant. Close the crack back together.
How to Start Straw Bale Gardening
by Kerry Michaels 7/10/24 the spruce
Any kind of raised bed makes for an easy, convenient garden, but one especially effective technique is straw bale gardening.1 Sometimes known as bale gardening, or hay bale gardening, a straw bale garden uses ordinary farmer's straw as the principal growing medium. When you condition a straw bale for gardening with a small amount of potting soil, compost, and fertilizer, the straw itself breaks down gradually, providing its own nutrients throughout the growing season.
Straw bale gardening in rainy climate #312128
Hello. I'm about ready to try straw bale gardening around my house. I have found little information on how successful this approach is in a rainy climate. Really the only tip specific to this type of climate I have found is to possibly wrap the bales in plastic to encourage their heating up during the conditioning phase. My concern is more about what happens after the bales have been conditioned and planted. Is there an increased chance of mold or fungus using straw bales compared to a traditional raised bed garden if it's a rainy summer? Are there any steps that could/should be taken in a rainy climate using the bale method of gardening?
Straw Bale Gardening: A Beginner's Guide
by Kate Morgan 2/5/24 howstuffworks
If you didn't grow up with livestock or on a farm, you may not know there's a difference between bales of stray and bales of hay. In fact, the two are completely different. Straw is dry, stiff and yellow. It's a byproduct of a grain crop; once the seeds of a plant like wheat are harvested for food, the straw is gathered and baled. It doesn't have much — if any — nutritional value left, so it's often used for livestock bedding, but not food.
Hay, on the other hand, is grown specifically to feed livestock. Hay bales are made up of plants — usually grass or legumes — that have been harvested and dried as food for cows or other grazing animals. Because hay is still full of seeds, if you try to use it for garden planting, you're very likely to end up with a whole lot of unwanted sprouts.
Straw Bale Garden Results after My First Season
Did you try something new in your garden this year? Trying new things is so much fun! This year I tried the popular gardening method, straw bale gardening, for the first time. In a previous episode of The Beginner’s Garden podcast, I introduced the founder of the Straw Bale Garden Method, Joel Karsten. He and I chatted just as I was beginning my straw bales. (You can listen to it or read about it here.)
But now that I’ve finished my first full season with straw bales, what did I discover? Was it hard? Did it meet my expectations? And perhaps most important, will I do it again? Read on or listen to this new episode of the Beginner’s Garden Podcast to find out.
Having read Straw Bale Gardens, by Joel Karsten, I was ready to try growing in my first straw bale.
“Conditioning” the bales is basically the process of getting the inside of the bales to start composting. This process takes approximately 10 to 12 days. Since I was just experimenting, I didn’t worry about how long it would take, as long as the conditioning was done correctly. If I were doing this at the beginning of the growing season, I would count backwards from the last average frost date, or when I was planning my first plantings, to ensure that the bales were ready. The inside of the bale will not feel and look composted at this stage. The idea is to get the bale composted far enough that the bacteria is activated, and making nitrogen and other nutrients available.
Straw bale gardening?
I tried it one year. One thing I found was that the bales shrank a ***lot*** over the course of the season, and the shrinkage was uneven. I think it would help to have some kind of containment for the bales, such as wood sides. The other thing I found is that they need a lot of watering. I wished I had laid out a soaker hose over the top of the bales, connected to the faucet with an automatic timer. As I recall, watering with a hose often resulted with a lot of the water dribbling down and away from the plants; slow, frequent watering would have been better for the plants and also conserved on water usage. Also, I'm no expert, but I think it would have helped to have spread out at least a one-inch or two-inch layer of soil over the hay bales. If you are going to garden in the same place year after year, I think this would combine with the broken-down hay to form a nice base for a raised bed.
How to Grow a Garden in Straw Bales
by Bill Hageman 22/8/25 growOrganic
Your straw bale garden can be located anywhere with enough space to set one (even on the driveway), and enough sun to keep your plants happy - that means at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Although it is possible to relocate your bale garden mid-year, the bales will be really heavy by then from moisture and conditioning. It’s best to choose a good spot where you can leave it all season long.
Pros And Cons Of Straw Bale Gardening
by Amy Grant and Teo Spengler 10/2/23 Gardening
Are there advantages to straw bale gardening? Putting in a temporary garden in straw bales is riding a wave of popularity, but not everyone is convinced. You'll find both advantages and drawbacks to planting in straw bales, and the ultimate decision about whether to go for it is up to you. Read on to learn the pro and cons on straw bale gardening.
Straw Bale Gardening
by Natasha Bourlin 6/3/19 edible COMMUNITIES
Horticulturist Joel Karsten began growing bumper crops in straw bales after college. Today, this bestselling author’s method has proven successful in nearly every global environment. He even teaches people in impoverished nations how to grow their own produce in straw.
Karsten’s bale technique can help gardeners raise tantalizing tomatoes earlier than others who follow a more conventional path. These easily accessible, affordable, and self-contained straw planters are conducive to growing hearty plants nearly anywhere.
Growing A Straw Bale Garden
by Sue Langley 12/7/13 SIERRA NEWS ONLINE
In May, Tractor Man and I lugged four bales of hay down our slope and set them up as a garden! At the same time, we constructed a ‘Ranch Gate Garden’, by stringing three old ranch gates together that we found on our place, fencing in the 16′ x16′ garden. The fourth side we made from wire fencing and a door frame set with a discarded screen door as a gate.
It’s Easy to Grow Your Own Veggies with Straw Bale Gardening
Straw bales, essentially an easier and cheaper type of container gardening, seemed to be an effective way to extend my garden space. For ten years, I’d grown vegetables–various greens, beans, cucumbers and the like – in the rototilled sunny half of my tiny backyard. The shaded half of the yard is reserved for my bulldog. A smaller garden on the side of the house had limited sun but could grow summer and winter squash. Tomatoes, my favorite veggie, didn’t do well in either.
How to Grow Your Own Veg in Straw Bales
by Lisa Row Scotland's GARDENS Scheme
This gardening technique involves using straw bales as planters. If you’ve poor quality or hard soil in your garden and growing vegetables has always been a challenge, this is a great solution.
The straw bales are just like the ones you’ll find on farms. They heat up quickly due to decomposition so they’re a great growing method for the cold Scottish climate and actually help to extend the growing season.
How to Get Started with Straw Bale Gardening
Straw bale gardening advocates say it is an excellent solution for many gardeners around the world providing an economical, flood-resistant way to grow veggies and other annuals right where you want them.
This information comes from Joel Karsten, the creator of this gardening method and author of several books including Straw Bale Solutions and Straw Bale Gardens Complete. If you prefer wood raised beds, this has information on the best wood to choose and there are free building plans here.
Straw Bale Gardening
No place to dig a garden? Or do you have bad soil, a bad back or just aren’t crazy about digging up grass to plant vegetables? Believe it or not, vegetables can grow in ordinary straw bales – even if they’re set on top of a driveway or patio. Using a straw bale as a container is relatively easy and the raised height helps eliminate back breaking bending and the heavy work of digging and turning the soil to plant. It's an especially attractive option if you live in an urban setting with little access to soil or are simply plagued with bad soil.
The technique has been popularized lately by Minnesota horticulturist Joel Karsten and his 2013 book “Straw Bale Gardening.” Karsten says the key is “conditioning” the bales ahead of time so they become self-feeding growing boxes similar to containers – except you end up with a half-decayed pile of composted straw by the end of the season.
Straw Bale Gardening – Pros and Cons
Straw bale gardening has a small but steady following. Historically, it has been used for a long time, but fell out of favor as more traditional gardening practices developed. In recent years it has seen increased interest but so far it is mostly a novelty form of gardening. Is this a technique we should all be using?
In this post I’ll look at the claimed benefits and examine the pros and cons of the system.
The Basics Of Straw Bale Gardening
by Marlene Affeld 21/12/20 Insteading
An ancient gardening technique dating back to the Romans, straw bale gardening is a simple concept. As a straw bale starts to decompose or break down, it turns into a raised, compostable, 40-gallon planter that’s ideal for growing vegetables. Straw bale gardens are inexpensive, easy to set up, easy to maintain, and biodegradable.
Planting into straw or hay bales
I got a free bale of straw, and was surprised at how many wheat seeds were in it.
I transplanted some of these sprouts and have left the remainder in place out of curiosity; they seem to be doing OK, perhaps I'll hit them with some compost tea before spring. One of the earliest to sprout, that has been in good soil, has already set seed, so apparently it's spring wheat. Most have remained largely in the shade, and aren't very developed at all. It's interesting.
What is straw bale gardening? Experts explain this alternative growing method
by Holly Crossley 3/12/23 HOMES & GARDENS
When thinking about growing crops and flowers at home, planting into bales of decomposing straw probably isn't the first approach that springs to mind. But, the concept offers a huge amount of benefits – and has gained popularity across multiple countries as a result.
It may seem like a novel way of starting a vegetable garden. And Joel Karsten, the pioneer of the Straw Bale Gardens® method, says that, 32 years ago, nobody had ever heard of such a thing.
Planting and Growing in Straw Bales
You might think that using straw bales in any way is something only a farmer would do — but if that’s what you’re thinking, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to do raised bed gardening in a unique way. Rather than go the more labor-intensive route of building raised beds for your veggies, let the straw bales do the work for you. Intrigued? Keep reading for ideas on how you can create this unusual container garden.
Put Straw Bale Gardening in Your Garden Plans
by Joel Karsten 15/10/13 MOTHER EARTH NEWS
Author, lecturer, and straw bale gardening pioneer Joel Karsten hails from Minnesota, where he even grows peanuts and sweet potatoes in ordinary bales of straw. In Straw Bale Gardens (Cool Springs Press, 2013), Karsten explains the simplicity and benefit of gardening with straw bales and all the necessary details to start your unique garden and how to keep it growing. Maybe you desire to grow a garden but don’t have the space or the tools to turn a grassy plot of land into an area of thriving plants and wholesome produce. By fitting straw bale gardening into your garden plans, you can overcome these obstacles. Read what brought Karsten to the innovative and efficient idea of Straw Bale Gardening and find the inspiration to start one, yourself. This excerpt is taken from the introduction of Straw Bale Gardens.
Straw bale Gardening
Going to open up this topic for conversation here on Strawbale gardening.
This seems like an excellent scientific approach to creating a garden with good results and less back pain lol!
Straw Bale Gardening 101: Not Just for Country Folk
by Anawalt Lumber 25/11/24 ANAWALT
Look for bales of wheat, barley, or oats — they provide the best-growing medium. Straw bales are usually available at feed and farm supply stores, but you can also find them at garden centers.
Choose a spot that receives full sun for most of the day. You’ll need to water the bales frequently, so make sure your chosen location is close to a water source.
Straw-Bale Gardening Gains Popularity
by Joel Karsten 21/2/13 Northern Gardener
The straw-bales method has several advantages. The conditioning process heats up the interior of the bales, so when you plant tomatoes or other heat-loving vegetables into them, their roots are kept warmer. Last year, I grew tomatoes in the ground in my garden and in two straw bales. The straw-bale tomatoes were about two weeks ahead of the ones in the ground all season and ended up producing more fruit. They had no disease problems and because the bales were off the ground, they weren’t bothered by the many critters that inhabit my garden.
Straw Bale Gardening Is Easier Than You Think—Here's What to Know
by Arricca Elin SanSone 17/2/21 Country Living
Terrible garden soil? Or even no soil? No problem. Yes, you can garden! Straw bale gardening uses a bale as the medium in which you plant. You won't have to dig in rocky or hard soil, and it creates cheap, raised beds. At the end of the season, you can compost the bales, so it’s the ultimate in sustainable gardening. It's ideal for vegetable gardens, but you also can grow ornamental flowers.
Straw bale gardening is the solution to a weed-free garden
by Rebecca Dumais 26/3/24 Cottage Life
A bale of straw may seem like little more than Halloween décor to civilian homeowners. But did you know straw bales can be used to grow various kinds of herbs, ornamental plants, and vegetables? Cool, right? Straw bales gardens are soil-free, raised container beds are kinder on your back, plus the best perk is weed-free gardening.
Not everyone’s born with a green thumb, but if you’re longing to nurture your ability to reap what you sew, straw bale gardening is a great way to start. As long as the bales receive six to eight hours of sunlight per day, you can place them virtually anywhere: along the driveway, the back patio, or down near the dock.
Create a garden anywhere with straw bales
Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This technique allows you to create a raised bed garden on the patio, lawn, or poor compacted soil. Straw bale gardening has been around for centuries, but thanks to Joel Karsten’s book Straw Bale Gardens it has gained new popularity.
Straw Bale Gardens Blog
Learn about growing vegetables, organic techniques and buy straw bales for your straw bale garden. Read stories and FAQs about straw bale gardening.
Straw Bale Gardening is a simply a different type of container gardening. The main difference is that the container is actually the straw bale itself, held together with two or three strings; the outside crust of the bale serves as the container. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decompose, the straw becomes “conditioned” and ready to plant. The step by step process of conditioning creates an extraordinarily productive, warm, moist and nutrient rich rooting environment for young seedlings. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started approximately two weeks prior to the target planting date in your area. This planting date varies greatly depending on where you are in the world but this gardening technique works anywhere in the world for seasonal spring/summer or for winter gardens.
Straw bale gardening is worth a try
by Susan Laird 31/5/15 VILLAGE life
As I dug into each bale and planted my veggies, I had some leftover straw. This I decided to stick on top of my soaker hoses to encourage all the water to stay within the bales.
I went a little crazy in what I planted. I had no idea what would work and what would not. I planted red potatoes, yellow squash, Black Beauty zucchini, red chard, kale, red sails lettuce, several varieties of tomatoes, green beans and peppers. For fun, I planted some dahlias at the ends of two rows. Now that my little project is several months in, I can tell you: This method works! I water only four minutes a day. That’s it. And the plants are lush and happy.
Curious about Straw Bale Gardening? Experience no soil gardening and create lush green spaces sustainably. Comment below if you're ready to ditch the dirt! 🌿
by Straw Bale Garden Club Facebook
Curious about Straw Bale Gardening? Experience no soil gardening and create lush green spaces sustainably. Comment below if you're ready to ditch the dirt! 🌿
Straw Bale Gardening for Beginners
This guide on how to Grow a Straw Bale Garden will help you to prep, plant, and grow the vegetables you love from start to harvest. This unique gardening method offers a hassle-free alternative to traditional setups—saving you time, effort, and strain on your back and knees. It’s my favorite way to create a thriving garden without the heavy lifting.
How to grow plants in straw bales
by Mary Beth Breckenridge 1/9/13 Miami Herald
When Joel Karsten was growing up on a farm in Minnesota, he noticed how lushly weeds grew from rotting bales of straw. That made him wonder: If straw worked so well for growing weeds, wouldn’t it work just as well for vegetables? Karsten’s question eventually led him to devise a method for growing plants directly in straw bales. His idea is gaining momentum among gardeners with the release of his book, Straw Bale Gardens (Cool Springs Press, $19.99).
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article1954607.html#storylink=cpy
Straw Bale Gardening: Growing Edibles in Straw Bales
by UC Marin Master Gardeners 24/8/21 YouTube
There are many benefits to straw bale gardening. Straw bales can be a cost effective way to grow food. They're also more ergonomic than planting directly into soil and you don't have to worry about weeds. Watch the video to find out how to source, condition and plant your straw bales for a thriving garden that is easy to maintain.
Straw Bale Gardening: Part 1 - Preparing the Bales
by UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County 18/5/21 YouTube
This video demonstrates how to prepare straw bales for planting vegetables. The process involves conditioning the bales with fertilizer and water over a 17-day period, which encourages decomposition and creates a nutrient-rich growing medium. The video provides specific instructions on how to apply fertilizer and water, and explains the importance of using straw instead of hay.
Start a Straw Bale Garden (Complete How-to)
by Gardener Scott 1/5/20 YouTube
You can start a straw bale garden with a bale of straw and some fertilizer. Straw bale gardening offers a unique and innovative way to garden. Straw bales act as raised garden beds can be set up almost everywhere. They do require preparation before growing in them and gardener Scott shows all of the how-to steps for getting started with straw bale gardening. (Video #153)
Planting in Your Straw Bale Garden
by Straw Bale Garden Club . COM 23/4/20 YouTube
Are you ready to start planting your own vegetable garden? Once you've conditioned your bales, here's how to plant seedlings and seeds in your Straw Bale Garden.
Joel Karsten invented this method of growing vegetables and has tested what works for thirty years now. When you follow his tips, your odds of success are extremely high, especially compared to growing in a traditional in-the-ground garden. You can find many more videos & a growing community of SBG enthusiasts at StrawBaleGardenClub.com. Sprout level membership is free, so check it out. The forum on StrawBaleGardenClub is a great place to ask questions, get trustworthy answers, and get inspired by the results of straw bale gardeners all around the world. We'd love to have you join our "global gardening revolution."
Straw Bale Vegetable Gardening
by Garden Gate Magazine 20/5/20 YouTube
Incredibly easy to set up, we step you through the process of installing hay bale raised garden beds. This setup took one hour, cost $12 and made two raised beds 3' wide and 10' long... This can be scaled up or modified to fit any situation.
This video shows how to build raised garden beds using hay bales, burlap, and compost. The creator explains why they prefer hay over straw for this project and details the process of building the beds, including the materials and tools needed. The video ends with a promise of future updates on the garden's progress.
How To Plant A STRAW BALE GARDEN In 4 Easy Steps
by The Millennial Gardener 21/4/23 YouTube
In this video, I share how to plant a straw bale garden in 4 easy steps. Did you know you can grow plants in straw bales? Growing in straw bales is an easy, affordable way to grow food in small spaces and large spaces alike! This video explains the full planting procedure including fertilizing.
Straw Bale Gardening
I've been growing thins in straw bales for a few years now. In this playlist you will find videos that will show how I condition straw bales to get them ready to plant. There's a video on how I prepare the straw bale for planting after it is conditioned it. Then there are many videos that show the various things I've grown in straw bales as they progress through the spring, summer, and fall.
Straw Bale Gardening
How to fix a Bale that is falling over with instructions from New York Times Best Selling Author Joel Karsten.
Straw Bale Gardening
I've been growing thins in straw bales for a few years now. In this playlist you will find videos that will show how I condition straw bales to get them ready to plant. There's a video on how I prepare the straw bale for planting after it is conditioned it. Then there are many videos that show the various things I've grown in straw bales as they progress through the spring, summer, and fall.
Vertical Straw Bale Gardening
by Beginner's Garden - Journey with Jill 22/6/22 YouTube
I grew a 47-bale straw bale garden my first year on my current property. With the hard packed clay that covered the land, I knew I wanted raised beds. But I also knew I wanted to grow EVERYTHING right NOW. So I quickly put together a straw bale garden and I fell in love with it. Now three years later with 10 raised beds and raised planting space all around the perimeter fence, I still save space for 20 straw bales and 20 second year bales (for my potatoes). I can't imagine a time where I won't have one. Tomatoes, potatoes and sweet potatoes are absolute musts in the bales every year. But I also add a few other vining crops like cucumbers, cantaloupe, mango melons and noodle beans. It's a beautiful way to garden and my hard packed clay has a beautiful, rich layer of compost in my straw bale garden area.
Planting in Your Straw Bale Garden
by Straw Bale Garden Club .COM 23/4/20 youTube
Are you ready to start planting your own vegetable garden? Once you've conditioned your bales, here's how to plant seedlings and seeds in your Straw Bale Garden.
Joel Karsten invented this method of growing vegetables and has tested what works for thirty years now. When you follow his tips, your odds of success are extremely high, especially compared to growing in a traditional in-the-ground garden. You can find many more videos & a growing community of SBG enthusiasts at StrawBaleGardenClub.com. Sprout level membership is free, so check it out. The forum on StrawBaleGardenClub is a great place to ask questions, get trustworthy answers, and get inspired by the results of straw bale gardeners all around the world. We'd love to have you join our "global gardening revolution."
Kickstart a Weed-Free Straw Bale Garden
Learn how to build a weed-free straw bale garden in this GrowVeg tutorial. The video details a two-week conditioning process using fertilizer and water. This method creates a raised bed suitable for various plants, even in poor soil.
How to grow veggies in straw • Part 1: Conditioning your bales
by The Garden Family 13/4/25 YouTube
Who knew a humble straw bale could become a 5-star veggie hotel?! 🥕🍅
Thanks for turning compost into comedy — and teaching us how to garden like pros while giggling like kids! 😂🧑🌾 Can’t wait to see my tomatoes stand tall like little green soldiers! 🍅💪
How to Set up a Straw Bale Garden - from Start to Finish!
by Steep in the Woods 1/6/23 YouTube
How to set up a full size straw bale garden from start to finish!
Everything from the design, conditioning, and planting a family of four's off grid garden.
"Straw Bale Gardening "
Joel Karsten (Roseville, MN) has a B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota, where he was recruited to play football by legendary coach Lou Holtz. He was raised on a tree farm, where he learned the secrets to successful gardening from his grandmother Josephine. In addition to giving.
Straw Bale Gardening - Part 2 Planting
by UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County 9/6/21 YouTube
The straw bale garden is harvested - now what? Join Gail Pothour as she disassembles the straw bales for compost and mulch to add to the garden.
Straw Bale Gardening: results from my first year
by Beginner's Garden - Journey with Jill 14/11/20 YouTube
Also, if you are planning on using Straw Bales and you want to go the ORGANIC route, get your straw bales in the late fall to early winter, and put them in place then check around for folks with horses, cattle or even chickens, a lot of folks with these animals would be glad for you to clean out their stalls for free. Of course you need a trailer or pickup to haul it. Collect the manure and then place it directly on top of your straw bales in the late fall/early winter and let nature happen. The rains will slowly wash the nitrogen from the manure into and through the bales, and by planting time the following Spring, your bales should be ready to go. If money is an option this is a way to lower the cost. Of course you wait until late winter or early Spring to start your conditioning of your bales, then you'll need to use a more aggressive method to compose/prep your bale.
Straw Bale Gardening Part 3 - End of the Season
by UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County 31/10/21 YouTube
The straw bale garden is harvested - now what? Join Gail Pothour as she disassembles the straw bales for compost and mulch to add to the garden.
Straw Bale Gardening: Preparing the Bales
by OklahomaGardening 22/3/19 YouTube
Learn how to prepare straw bales for gardening. This video details a 14-day conditioning process using fertilizer and water. The process involves monitoring the bales' temperature to ensure proper decomposition.
Straw bale Gardening Prep to Plant to Harvest -Straight to the Point
by The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener 6/3/16 YouTube
In this video I show you from start to finish the process of growing squash in a bale. It is very simple and we were really pleased with the results even though we were growing on a west facing bank. It is cheap, easy to do and a fun project for anyone growing food. Become a supporter of HuwsNursery: / huwsnursery
THE GODFATHER OF STRAW BALE GARDENING - Joel Karsten
by Brew City Gardener 16/3/19 YouTube
Our VERY FIRST video was a tour of our garden. Three years later after that video, it has evolved into an entirely new setup, which is why we're showing you all what it looks like in 2019! We've got a lot more in our garden to show in the future, so make sure you subscribe to stay updated. : )
Podcast Episode 3: Container Gardening, Straw Bale Gardening.
by Oklahoma County OSU Extension 11/5/22 YouTube
In this episode, we cover tips for successful container gardening with ornamentals and vegetables and discuss how to build a straw bale garden.
How to Grow a Straw Bale FLOWER Garden
by Straw Bale Garden Club . COM 21/2/22 YouTube
Joel Karsten from StrawBaleGardenClub.com explains how easy it is to plant a Straw Bale FLOWER Garden, and grow beautiful options by planting seeds or bulbs like dahlias or lilies.
Straw Bale Gardening allows you to grow an amazing harvest of vegetables, of course, but you can also add to the inside beauty of your home by setting up a Straw Bale Flower garden just to have a source for cut-flowers to display in a vase. This method is especially helpful at the end of the growing season, because it's incredibly simple to gather your bulbs and store when outside temperatures are too cold to leave them in place. It's just like harvesting potatoes from a Straw Bale Garden; you cut the strings of your bale, and let the straw collapse out to the sides, and it's as simple as collecting the bulbs or tubers from the middle of the pile. Then you can use all of that nutrient-rich organic material to top off your planter pots, or even spread it on your lawn. Visit our primary website, StrawBaleGardenClub.com to find almost 100 free videos about Straw Bale Gardening, along with a forum where you can get answers to your questions directly from Joel Karsten himself, find invitations to our monthly online Community Chat events, and discover many more resources to help inspire and support you in your gardening efforts, (including BaleBuster® - our specially formulated All-in-One bale conditioning product for Straw Bale Gardeners).
Setting Up A Straw Bale Garden-Let's Get Started
by Gardening With Tracy 25/3/20 YouTube
I decided to change the layout of my garden this year due to some irrigation issues I was having. I thought I would show you the set up from start to finish. This video is about setting up the Straw Bale Garden. It will provide instruction on choosing the right location, the right bales, placement of the bales, and setting up the support posts and trellis wires. If you follow these instructions you will have your garden ready for conditioning. This video describes in detail the purpose for t-posts and trellis wires running across each row.
One thing I forgot to mention, you can have as big or little a garden as you want or have room for. You can also put your bales on a driveway or patio if wanted. You would not have to use any cloth, cardboard, or mulch under the bales if you put on solid surface. Just figure out where you want to put it and go from there. If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me a question. I look forward to hearing from you.
SECOND YEAR GROWING VEGETABLES IN STRAW BALES What I’ve Learned So Far
by Workshop at The Gardens 2/8/21 YouTube
SECOND YEAR GROWING VEGETABLES IN STRAW BALES What I’ve Learned So Far -At Home in The Gardens with Glenn
Hey hi! Glenn here! I am at home in my gardens… thanks for joining me. We are starting out a new season of gardening and I’m taking you along with me. Last year was all about getting the garden rejuvenated and this year picks up with that garden. I also added straw bale gardening to the list last year. Thanks to Joel “The Straw bale Garden Guy” for helping me out in getting stared with growing vegetables in straw bales. The garden results from my first year were great… so I decided to add more bales to the garden this year! Straw bale gardening is great way to start home gardening for beginners. You can use organic fertilizer to condition your bales, so it makes it easy to have an organic garden at home. I don’t think I would classify straw bale gardening as a gardening hack, it a real great way to garden and grow a lot of food. It’s most definitely easier to start out with the garden that was readied in the fall. Make sure to check out the play list from last season of At Home in The Gardens for a lot of ideas on how to get started gardening. This video is about getting started I the spring with soil prep and overall garden prep. Watching the weather is always important to know when the last frost might be… when soil temps will be good for planting Thanks for checking out the video. Leave a comment about your gardens. Please subscribe to the channel! Again, thank you for watching! ~ Enjoy!!
An Introduction to Bale Gardening - The Pros and Cons of Bale Gardening
by Brew City Gardener 8/4/19 YouTube
Are you ready to start your straw bale garden but you aren't sure how to find bales for your garden? I have a few tips to help you find bales for your garden or anything else you may need straw bales or hay bales. Thanks for watching!
Growing Maine Gardeners: How to Establish a Straw Bale Garden, Part I: Site Selection and Prep
by The University of Maine 28/4/20 YouTube
I did one season of straw bale gardening, using 23 bales. Though it has worked beautifully for some, it was a big pain in my ass! We had Water&evaporation issues, slug&earwig infestations, nutrient deficiencies, herbicides, and the combined costs of preparation and water, totaling over $600. And, when I had mentioned these problems on Joel Karsten';s site, he personally emailed me and called me an asshole! Na. This method is just an old novelty that people, like Karsten, have used to sell books and products. Though, I am grateful that my difficulties had caused me to learn much more about gardening. This year is no dig w/ compost mulch.
Planting Straw Bale Gardens
by Survival HT 21/1/15 YouTube
Updates to the conditioning bales video. This video focuses on how to plant straw or hay bale gardens and shows some early progress of plant growth
This video shows how to plant a straw bale garden. The speaker explains how to prepare the bales, plant seeds and starts, and water the garden. They also discuss the benefits of straw bale gardening, such as low maintenance and the ability to grow a variety of plants.
Straw Bale Gardening
by Hobby Farms 17/9/20 YouTube
Russell Graves walks viewers through the steps to choosing, conditioning and planting a straw bale garden.
Extending the season with STRAW BALE GARDENING
by Short Season Garden 2/8/21 YouTube
The advantages of STRAW BALE GARDENING include a weed-free, disease-free inexpensive raised bed garden that makes it easy to extend the season with a natural greenhouse environment protecting seedlings from frost in a cold climate garden.
An Introduction to Bale Gardening - The Pros and Cons of Bale Gardening
by Brew City Gardener 8/4/19 YouTube
In this video I give an brief introduction to bale gardening, the pros and cons and how it works!
For more information and resources see the links I have provided:
"The Global Straw Bale Gardener's Collective" Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/24007...
Straw Bale Gardening: Turn a Straw Bale Into a Thriving Garden in Just a Few Steps!
by Growing Spaces Greenhouses 17/5/24 YouTube
Filling raised beds with topsoil can get expensive. In this video, we show you how to use straw bales as a growing medium also called straw bale gardening. This gardening method is cost-effective and really easy to do! It is important to source your straw carefully and avoid any brands that are treated with herbicides and pesticides. We learned about this method from a fellow Growing Dome owner and adapted it to work within our existing garden beds.
Straw Bale Gardening - The INSTANT & AFFORDABLE way to Grow 🌾
by Expedition Homestead 15/4/25 YouTube
Spring has arrived in Wisconsin and it's time to start getting our straw bale garden ready! Today we are introducing this garden space and idea to you all and our next video will cover prepping the staw bales for the growing season!
Straw bale gardening has become a popular method for growing veggies and flowers—especially for folks dealing with poor soil or limited space. Here are the main benefits:
Straw Bale Gardening
by P. Allen Smith 31/3/12 YouTube
Here's a new approach to raised bed gardening. Watch this video to receive instructions for planting in a straw bale.
From the Ground Up: Straw Bale Gardening
by VirginiaFarmBureau 20/6/24 YouTube
Get ready to try out a fun new gardening hobby this summer! 🌱 Chris Mullins with Virginia Cooperative Extension shows us how straw bale gardening makes it easy to grow your own plants and produce in From the Ground Up.
Growing Vegetables in Old Straw Bales
by Growfully with Jenna 10/9/20 YouTube
Can growing vegetables in straw bales truly have great results? I set up my own straw bale gardening experiment this year to see. Some vegetables worked better for me than others growing in straw bales- see which ones in this video. I explain my straw bale garden setup from start to finish, as well as some tips for success and vegetables which performed very well grown in straw bales.
Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I will only recommend items I love and should you choose to make a purchase, it helps support the channel! Thank you! 💚
Make a Straw-Bale Garden
by Fine Gardening 19/8/24 YouTube
Four hay bales and some compost are all you need to set up this nifty biodegradable garden bed. Amy Stewart shows you how.
How to Begin "Hay Bale" Gardening or How to Start a Straw Bale Garden
by PREPSTEADERS 22/3/19 YouTube
Learn how to build a straw bale garden, even in an urban environment! This tutorial demonstrates prepping the bales over two weeks, including fertilization and watering techniques. The video also covers planning and plant selection for optimal growth.
Straw Bale Gardening in Arizona Low Desert
by All Purpose Mom 20/7/20 YouTube
We began a straw bale garden in our Arizona backyard in March of 2020. In the beginning I thought I would do a day by day, of the conditioning process or that I would have a series on straw bale gardening. However, as time went on it just became a part of how we gardened. Five months later during the hottest part of our dry summer, I thought it would be great to do a recap. First I explain the basics of straw bale gardening. Next, we go back to March to the very first day of conditioning the bale for growing and I explain the process. Then we jump forward to the future to chat about some of the things I didn’t like about straw bale gardening, watering the bales, if we would do it again and where we got our bales.
108 Bob's LIVE: Straw Bale Gardening
by Bob's Market & Greenhouses Inc 7/6/22 YouTube
This is a presentation on straw bale gardening shared with the North Hills, WV Garden Club on June 2, 2022.
Straw Bale Gardening, will I do it again?
by Digwell Greenfingers 30/12/24 YouTube
Well here we go with my last video for 2024, a summary of my straw bale gardening for the year.
Was it worth it?
013 Straw Bale Gardening
by Bob's Market & Greenhouses Inc 26/8/24 YouTube
Straw bale gardening is one of the simplest and most intuitive gardening methods I've come across. In this episode we meet Joel Karsten, inventor of straw bale gardening.
Condition Straw Bales for Gardening – Grow Veggies Without Soil!
by Expedition Homestead 12/6/25 YouTube
🌱 Ready to start a straw bale garden? In this video, we walk you through how to prepare and condition straw bales step-by-step so they’re ready to grow healthy vegetables without traditional soil! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve your results, this guide will help you set up your bales the right way from day one.
How to Create a Straw Bale Garden
by Milorganite Fertilizer 17/2/16 YouTube
Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil. All that is needed are a few straw bales, Milorganite fertilizer, compost, time to condition, plants or seeds, and water.
How to Start Straw Bale Gardening
by Kerry Michaels 10/7/24 the spruce
Any kind of raised bed makes for an easy, convenient garden, but one especially effective technique is straw bale gardening.1 Sometimes known as bale gardening, or hay bale gardening, a straw bale garden uses ordinary farmer's straw as the principal growing medium. When you condition a straw bale for gardening with a small amount of potting soil, compost, and fertilizer, the straw itself breaks down gradually, providing its own nutrients throughout the growing season.
Sledge Straw Bale Plant Box
by Erientes in Living AUTODESK Instructables
I had this broken sledge laying around in the garage and figured it would be a nice extra in my garden if I would make a plant box out of it. For a while, I wanted to have lavender in my garden, so after the plant box was finished I planted lavender. The result is a movable and nice looking plant box.
Hay Bale Gardening
by moonshine88 in Living AUTODESK Instructables
I have a really big gopher issue and them eating my tree roots and any flowers or vegetables I plant. this set up doesn't "eliminate" the pests but it doesn't feed the. now either. Also it will be easier to maintain as there are little to no weeds to pull and sitting on your knees to plant, fertilize, and harvest is nice since everything is at chest level and you don't have to bend over. plus you can sit on them and work if you like too!
Straw Mulch: Uses and Benefits
by Barbara Gillette 28/2/23 the spruce
When you're starting a new lawn, planting a strawberry bed, or wanting to improve your soil, straw mulch is a practical, inexpensive choice. It's a natural product, packaged in two standard-sized, rectangular bales made up of flattened flakes bound tightly with string. Dimensions vary depending on the size of the machine used, but a small bale is a 2-string with the larger size sold as a 3-string. You can find straw mulch at home improvement stores, garden centers, and feed stores.
