Straw Bale Garden - May Update

The straw bale garden was started about six weeks ago. It finally got warm enough to put plants into them and for the seeds to sprout. Her eis an update on all that has happened in the past month.
Social Media:
Instagram: @tedsfishroom
FaceBook: / tedsfishroom
For expert information about straw bale gardening, please check out Joel Karsten's website: strawbalegarde...
Playlists:
Colombia 2018: • Colombia 2018
Colombia 2016: • Colombia 2016
Planted Tanks: • Planted Tanks
Species: • Species
Basics: • Basics
Travel: • Travel
My Fishroom: • Ted's Fishroom
#straw bale garden #straw bale gardening #gardening

[@coramoan668]

Looking forward to your June update!

[@Loogiemistress]

I've been waiting for this thank you! I can't get over how there is no fencing between yourself and your neighbours.. so different to here. You did a great job, but I bet if you put a frost covering over your plants it will be unseasonally hot next year!

[@CaylorsReptilesAquatics]

Very nice Ted!

[@DW7887]

I am really jealous .. American properties tend to be so much bigger than our german lots...It is hard work for me to have a nice garden plus vegetables etc on 3500 square feet - shared with a house and garage ...

[@TedsFishroom]

Straw bale is great for small spaces.

[@robertfaber6796]

The wheat grass is a good edible green. Consider it an extra crop.

[@summerbaby9379]

What can you add to the straw bales to stop flies from laying their eggs in it? This drove me crazy last year when I did the straw bale gardening for the first time. I ended up using an insecticide, but then the birds were eating the larvae and one of our resident bluebirds must have eaten one and we found her dead next to the straw bale. I'm wondering if I should add an insecticide when I add the fertilizer.

[@TedsFishroom]

I never had that problem, and I am not sure what I would do. If you used manure to start the bales, that may have attracted the flies. I used dissolved granular fertilizers and ammonia to start the bales. If I were concerned about it happening again in my bales, I might consider wrapping the bales in garden fabric that permits gas and water through. Holes can be cut to insert the plants. This may prevent the flies from accessing the bales... but probably not 100% effectively. As for insecticides, I would try something organic and animal-safe. Maybe even an oil-based emulsion that might coat insect eggs and larvae and suffocate them, but I would experiment around the roots of one plant first. Those emulsions are typically designed for use on foliage.

[@summerbaby9379]

I used Urea fertilizer (46-0-0) to condition (Days 1-3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them damp. Days 4-6: Sprinkle each bale with ½ cup urea (46-0-0) and water well into bales.) @@TedsFishroom What granular fertilizer do you use and what kind of ammonia? Thank you so much for responding to my question. I appreciate it.