How To Grow Vegetables in Hay Bales
Hay-bale gardening allows you to have a garden even if you have poor soil, only a small plot of land to garden in, or if kneeling to work in the ground is difficult for you. Square bales are preferable over round bales for this style of gardening, as they give you a flat surface with which to work. Another benefit of hay bales is it is nearly impossible to over-water your plants, as they quickly drain any excess moisture. Creating your own hay bale garden requires access to seed-free hay and some vegetable seedlings. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hay bales
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer
- 10-10-10 fertilizer
- Spade
- Stake
- Plant ties
Instructions
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Lay two or more hay bales end to end in a row. Set the bales so the baling twine goes around the sides of the bales. Otherwise the twine will rot quickly where it sits against the ground.
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2
Water the bales daily for three days prior to planting. Keep them as moist as a wrung-out sponge and avoid letting them dry out.
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3
Fertilize the bales with 12 cups of ammonium nitrate fertilizer per bale starting on the fourth, fifth and sixth days. Water thoroughly after fertilizing to maintain the moisture level.
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4
Fertilize with ¼-cup of ammonium nitrate on the seventh, eighth and ninth days. Water after each application.
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5
Fertilize with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer on the tenth day. Add 1 cup of fertilizer per bale and water thoroughly afterward.
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6
Stick a spade or spatula into the bale to form a crack. Set the vegetable seedling in the crack. Plant the vegetable to the same depth as it was in its nursery pot, or set it deep enough that the first leaf on the stem sits just above the hay bale. Remove the spade so the crack closes.
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Plant two to three plants per bale, spacing them equally apart. Stick an 8-foot plant stake into the bale behind each plant that requires support, such as tomatoes, and tie the plants to the stake with cloth ties as they grow.
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Continue watering the bales daily to keep them as wet as a wrung-out sponge. Hay bales dry quickly and may require additional water during hot, dry periods in mid-summer.
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Fertilize every one to two weeks with a liquid balanced fertilizer or 10-10-10 granular fertilizer following package instructions. Continue fertilizing until the plants begin setting fruit, then only water thereafter.
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Tips & Warnings
Use hay that is baled with synthetic twine instead of rope or wire. Synthetic twine doesn't break down as quickly so the bales maintain their shape.
Get hay bales from local farmers or check with garden centers and nurseries for hay bale suppliers.
Once the harvest is complete, add the old hay bales to your compost pile and start with new bales next year.
The hay bales may begin growing oats or grass if seeds are still present in them. Trim off any unwanted plants with shears. Weeds are unlikely in most hay bales.
