Actually, places like Lowes and Home Depot do generally carry straw bales. Have you called them to ask specifically? They aren't kept indoors or in the garden center where you can see them, they're usually in a semi trailer around back, but they're usually there.

I emailed home depot but lowes doesn't have an email and I don't have a phone. Our HD is very small I doubt they'd carry bales. In the fall though I think I've seen bales or something at some of these places. Last time I was up to lowes I didn't see anything and I come in the back way.

Well, if you can't get straw, what about fabricating something... Stuff the bottoms with old sheets, boxes full of crumpled newspaper held in place with bricks or stones, boards and sheets... Anything to seal up the leaky spots. Maybe get as much warm water in there as possible?

What about a neighbor with livestock? (You said the middle of nowhere, which I took to mean rural). Especially if it is an emergency and you only want to buy 3 bales. Good luck!

Lots of alternatives. Common one is to build a low tunnel over the crop out of plastic and a few stakes INSIDE the greenhouse. Run a power cord inside and plug in a couple of incandescent light bulbs. Sand bags is another option, covering the crops with Reemay or another brand of frost blanket is another, anything that builds a double wall between the outside air and the crops. Just have to think outside the box. :)

Dave

Yeah I'm already at the alternative method phase. I went to Home Depot they had nothing, Walmart nothing. I'm going to gather organic matter from around the yard and pile it around the perimeter.

I still did want straw because it's great for the soil. I'm going to make a craigslist post and see if anyone could pick me up a couple bales for a case of beer I i i mean $20. After all the main reason Bridgewater Farm is charging $65 is they around driving around extremely heavy trucks. Can't hurt. You never know someone might be headed my way from there.

Always keep some leaves around until June 15. if you were here I would give you 10 bags (I have about 50 left).

I've got 2 barrels of compost plus 3 compost piles and 50 landscape trees to trim, garlic weed invading from the back fence as well(my dog loves it...I think she's trying to tell me to get her some k9 advantix or something).

Yeah I'm already at the alternative method phase. I went to Home Depot they had nothing, Walmart nothing.

I find that very difficult to believe. Both stores yesterday were selling bags of composted manure for $1.70 each. They can be placed around the base for a lot less then the straw bales you are fixated on and they insulate and give off some low grade heat too.

Even big bags of quality potting mix that can be used for all sorts of things are available there for much less than straw bales and would probably do a better job of insultating anyway.

Both stores also sell Reemay Frost crop blankets, rolls of plastic, clothesline, plastic landscape mulch roles and the staples to stick it into the ground. Any of those things can be used to rig temporary crop protection and all of them for much less cost than straw bales.

Dave

Well I do have a greenhouse over the thing. Mostly what I need now is to keep the cold from tunneling under. I don't think those mulches would solve the problem. I also like straw a lot and like what it does for the soil. But my main concern now is keeping the cold out along the edges. I've seen potatoes coming up in January/February in leaves and leaves from the bushes. I think that's my best source right now for the main problem.

Yeah I have greenhouses too. Depend on them and the crops growing inside for a living as do many here.

Ever heard of using double wall insulation? Low tunnels inside high tunnels? Tents used inside greenhouses for crop protection? Regional tenting inside for various crops? All are pretty much standard practice among GH growers.

Link below - scroll down to the pic of "Low tunnels covered with spun row cover provide extra protection for winter crops inside high tunnels." to see what I mean. It's 20 degrees warmer inside the low tunnel than in the GH.

Easy to make, easier than trying to insulate or heat the whole GH, and used all the time. Only takes clothesline, some plastic and some rocks or such to weigh down the edges.

I don't think those mulches would solve the problem.

Guess I'm not painting a clear pic then as all of the above are commonly used in the GH industry and quite effective. Just trying to save your crops man. Your choice.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: GH tunnel growing

I mean that those cheap compost bags you see for around $2 are mostly top soil. Top soil is not a good insulator. Sun is doing me a service right now though. It is balmy inside my large green house. My smaller one has corn seed in it but they haven't come up yet so i'm not going to worry about them. I know what you're saying about double pane plastic just like windows if there is an air channel they insulate better but it's not going down to 20 degrees. 34 is the predicted temp. It could dip a bit below that. However I'm about to start filling up jugs of water in side.

Cardboard boxes, blankets and sheets work for me. I overwinter lots of things in AZ that can't freeze and we sometimes get down to 20 degrees. Also, getting the ground wet helps. Keeping the sprinkler on all night helps.

I mean that those cheap compost bags you see for around $2 are mostly top soil.

Hmmm, never found that to be the case with the ones sold here. Good mix of humus, decomposed organic matter, and composted manures. Used them several times when my compost piles are exhausted with very good results. Of course it could vary from brand to brand.

Dave

For tomorrow night, you might consider looking up Blue Seal stores (feed stores generally) or an Agway. They generally have straw, hay and other similar materials. On a weekday, you might call your local extension office or 4-H office to ask if they have any information on someone who sells from their farm.

Hope it doesn't get too cold!

Night temps at or near freezing now through Monday night. Then in the 50s after that. Typical New England spring.

Yup Susan,

Always get some warm weather followed by the last cold hurrah and then you're flicking baby Caterpillars off your clothes.

Nearest Agway type store is way out in the boonies. Last night I got an offer from some guy on craigslist 3 bales shipped for $160!!!

Good news is my garden appears to be fine. I'm just peering through the plastic and cant know for certain how well my corn did but I can see 3 Pepper plants in large containers that look unharmed. I mean if they were hurt they'd be all black. That's not to say they wouldn't be stunted right now(it's nippley)but they don't appear to be dehydrated. I kind of wish I had more organic matter but it seems I added enough around the edges and kept the greenhouse closed even when the sun was pretty strong yesterday. I must have filled 20-30 bottles with water. That couldn't have hurt. The compost I placed along the edges was very rich looking. I also gathered greens such as long grass from various clumps around the yard. I'll add some more of that because that will give off heat. Too bad all my neighbors are obsessed with lawn murder(round up killing all the beautiful dandelions and anything good below)or I would have been gathering bagged grass clippings for months on end.

Looks like 2 more days of bad weather. Based upon how it feels right now tonight could be the worst. Here's hoping for sunshine to heat things up during the day.

If you fill bottles of water then cut a piece of Black Plastic and put in the bottle. The sun will warm the water much more than without the black plastic inside. A simple test with two bottles will confirm this.