Straw Bale Gardening under Glass

A Straw bale garden under glass?

where is the sun?
Creative Commons License photo credit: cotaro70s

Our summer weather has been a disaster. Rain and cold is the definition of most days and I don’t have to tell you that doesn’t do any favor for the gardens.

When I noticed this trend didn’t seem to want to change, I covered most of my gardens with plastic or glass. I wondered at the time if I was over-reacting but from the results of my gardens and the neighboring gardens I think I made the right choice.

The hay bale garden was a little more difficult as a prepared hay bale weighs quite a lot. But I moved the hay bale with a trolley and the plants were young, so it didn’t seem to make a difference in the plants.

I also set up another 2 hay bales since growing under glass I will now have a longer growing season.

One of my first bales had a crop of lettuce growing in three stages for a longer supply of fresh greens. All stages are now done so I soaked the bale with a liquid fertilizer and added more topsoil. I plan on planting bush cucumbers in the front of the bale and a row of pole beans in the back. The back of the bale has a trellis so the beans will grow up that. HARVEST
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ross C.

I have several crops growing in a cold frame so I will add one of these to the following bale after I have treated it and few more days.

So far with my weather the hay bales sitting under glass are doing well. I had a small mini greenhouse I made of windows that were being tossed. The structure took a day to set up. The roof is a thick plastic. I don’t trust glass in a roof. Just in case it breaks I don’t want anyone injured.

Straw Bale Garden challenges

Next week we are actually going to have sun and a few dry days. It will be interesting to see how the hay bales do in a warm environment. I may have to water them more or add a little more compost to help keep the bales cool and moist.

The biggest challenge I see with the garden under glass is keeping the crops watered well if the temperatures finally decide to warm up.

How to cover your garden

If your in a situation like me, too much rain and cold days and nights, and feel your garden would do better being covered there are several ways to do this.

  • Move as many of your crops or second crops into containers as possible.
  • Create row covers for you beds. This is easier on raised beds or wide rows.
  • Build a mini greenhouse. There are several min greenhouse that can be made of old windows or plastic pipe that can be put up in a few hours to a day.

If  it will save your garden crops the extra work is worth the time.

My covered hay bale gardens seem to be doing well. The plants are healthy and growing well. And I don’t see any insects so wee will see how the garden grows as the season progresses.

Orange Zinnia
Creative Commons License photo credit: ellievanhoutte

And if anyone has some spare sunshine, please send it my way!

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Comments

3 responses to “Straw Bale Gardening under Glass”

  1. I love how people come with ideas to grow plants in just about anything that won’t move.

  2. Sharon

    I love the idea of growing crops in bales of hay. Do you compost the bales at the end of the season or will they last over winter to be planted again in spring?
    .-= Sharon´s last blog ..Zinnias Come in All Sizes and Colors =-.

  3. Denise

    It depends on how the bales hold up. If you tend to use a lot of fertilizer they break down faster and you may have to replace them. If you don’t add as much fertilizer and the bales don’t begin to break down as much you can use them for two years.

    These make fast raised bed gardens and if your soil is poor its a great help in gardening. Denise

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