I planted tomatoes and potatoes in them last year. Keep in mind it was a VERY wet spring. So the potatoes did well. Eventually the tomatoes did ok. They were planted late due to the weather. Really, in my case, it was like growing in very deep mulch. I could tell when the roots hit the soil below and the plants were happier. I am going to do tomatoes in them again this year on top of a wet spot. I hope the straw will mitigate the soggy soil. On the other hand, if we have a dry year I think straw bales will be hard to keep watered. I don't know how cukes would do in them.

Amy how did your bales do this year or did you do something different? My husband wants me to try doing bales next year. I think mostly due to cost of building and filling raised beds. I've been reading a lot on them and have thought about it before but was just a bit skeptical.

Thanks! :)

Well, hmmmm. The bales were placed over the low spot in my yard that tends to stay wet. I barely watered them. The plants look okay. Except I have 5 bales "abreast" of each other (long sides together). I believe the center bale got too hot. Those plants died early on. Production has been nearly non existent. Why? IDK, maybe too much nitrogen from the high nitrogen treatment used to prime the composting of the bales. My bales don't really seem to compost until late August. I don't think that concept works in Oklahoma heat and lack of rain. Maybe they were just planted too late. With big plants like tomatoes or potatoes, they put their roots down through the straw and do okay. I planted some flowers and herbs in the bales last year and they dried out too fast.

I had 2 new beds this year that I didn't want to spend the money to put soil in. We tried the lasagna method, only DH really didn't entirely understand it. Our layers were not as thick as they should have been. Last years straw bales went on top as mulch I grew potatoes in them first. Not the best production. But the peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes and brassica plants have done quite well, I think their roots have gone down into the soil beneath the beds. As experiments go, this has worked better for me. I think we will continue to add to these beds, until they are as deep as the wood frames, but their production was just as good this year (except for potatoes) as any of my other beds.

I do plan to do some more experimenting with strawbales this fall. I may use some to create the walls of a cold frame. At this point it's a question of how to keep the chickens out of whatever I plant.

Amy, back when I had chickens I would lay hog wire over my beds before planting. The chickens could not dig any plants out, since they really could not dig.

Moni

Really I should say laid the wire on the beds... right on top of the ground!

LOL, but it wouldn't keep them from trampling the plants, which my big footed flock are fond of doing. They have no respect. And they're eating green tomatoes.