More on Straw Bale Gardening

Notice how we planted marigolds too

I've mentioned in previous posts that we are straw bale gardening this year. The first row along the barn side, I planted English peas and bush green beans. It wasn't long that these peas needed something to climb on. It was a simple fix of adding 4' garden rods with string.

The next row was all the tomatoes. Again I used the posts and string to try to keep the extending growth contained. I knew that this would only be a short lived fix. Tomato plants can grow to 8' tall or more. One year on my old homestead, I planted some tomatoes in those topsy-turvy planters. I had eye-bolts anchored into the eaves of my house and they still lay on the ground. So my fix is cattle panels. They are placed in a hoop fashion on the rods over the pea/bean row of straw bales and the tomato row of straw bales. It gives me shade for harvesting these vegetables. We simply zip tied the panels in place on the rods. Now both can grow as long as they like. If the tomatoes grow to the other pea/bean bale, they'll root to form new plants for a continually rotating crop of tomatoes until the frost kills them. By the time that happens, the peas will be done and the green bean harvest will almost be done.

I let the wheat seed in the bales grow to feed to the rabbits and chickens. It's a quick, easy feed since the straw wasn't seed free. Triple duty in a small space. The straw bales will enrich the soil over time as they compost. The wheat straw provides food for or bunnies and chickens, and we get vegetables to eat. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

I've got to plant the zucchini for my pickle relish too. Since I've added preparing the refreshments for my stroke support group to my litany of to-dos, I'll need twice as much as I put up last year. I just love my zucchini relish. Mel, who hates squash of any kind, loves it too. The zucchini holds its texture so much better than cucumbers do. Thank you Great-Aunt Nancy! She gave me her recipe 43 years ago and I haven't used cucumbers for relish since. It's just so yummy.

Well, that's it for this week.

Y'all have a blessed day!