This Little Known Gardening Method Is BETTER Than Raised Beds!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 The #1 Challenge Most Gardeners Face 2:47 This Gardening Method Is Incredible! 6:13 How Garden Diseases Spread 8:17 How I Stopped Garden Disease Spread 9:43 This Gardening Method Controls Pests Too 13:07 2 Potential Problems To Watch Out For 16:01 Adventures With Dale

[@trulylynn9941]

I am in NE Florida and I have my tomatoes under a high tunnel in self wicking tubs. They are doing great as well. No chem trails on my food! Just saying

[@donaldduck830]

You forgot transfer of diseases via human contact and your tools. Also, disease pressure greatly depends on the neighborhood. These days I know only one other person in my village who still got a veggie garden. Just a few years ago the direct neighbor in the main wind direction did potatoes every year, too. We always got the brown rot and potato bugs from that side, first. Now my plants are way healthier. I started putting mulch under my cucumbers and other veggies a few years ago and this has reduced disease, the only thing to watch out for are snails hiding in the grass mulch. Next thing to do is companion planting. Certain herbs and garlic with strawberries. Onions protect my carrots. Tomatoes protect brassica from pests. Also density of planting. I always want to plant the most tomato plants I have room for. But with discipline I kept it to an even hundred this year cause, if they are too close together, they will have disease trouble earlier. With fewer plants the wind can pass between them, dry them off quicker and you got less trouble with disease.

[@donaldduck830]

Btw: Straw bales: Make sure you got straw without that herbicide that kills everything but grass, or tomatoes fail. And it is like sawdust with regards to nutrition, so you really need lots of expensive fertilizers. I put my tomatoes in containers with compost and stinging nettles and eggshells from my breakfast eggs. Zero cost fertilizer and growing medium. There are lots of seeds in the compost, but a mulch covering on top prevents sprouts.

[@donnabrooks1173]

Great informative video.

[@msthing120]

Where in earth do you find hay or straw without herbicide??? I live in North central Florida and every farm I've called uses herbicide due to a couple common weeds toxic to livestock. I'm trying to find alternatives to traditional straw or hay. Any suggestions?

[@donnayoung5942]

I remove tomato leaves 12-18inches from the bottom ( amount taken off depends on the size of the plant )and hardly have any disease. I live in southeast texas. Bug netting works great for so many plants. Sometimes you have to pollinate but much healthier plants. Best thing I learned last year and implemented this season was to pick my tomatoes as soon as they “blush.” Bring them in and put them in a cool place, not a sunny window. They ripened so quickly. I learned this from A&M. They did taste test on tomato’s picked early versus vine ripened and equal taste. Second, when you pick them early, the tomato bush works overtime trying to produce more tomatoes because it’s the plant’s goal to produce a ripen tomato. Once it produces a mature tomato, production slows down.

[@smas3256]

Same with cucumbers and peas. Pick before fully grown.

[@wvhaugen]

I used straw and hay bale culture 20 years ago back when I was a market gardener. If you have access to cheap or free bales, it is a good idea. If not, it is better to work on blight-resistant landraces, which I have been doing for over 25 years. If you have a lot of bales, you can also lay them out in a mat and give them 3 years to break down. This will raise the level of soil. I got 400 bales of spoiled hay for free once and did this. After three years I had another 12 inches of soil. Based on the old canard that it takes 1000 years to build an inch of soil, I compressed, 12,000 years into 3 years. Think outside the box - just like the Millenial Gardener is doing.

[@bitethesun]

Good thinking with the bales. Can you expand on your method with the blight-resistant landacres? Thank you.

[@MO-he1gi]

New to gardening. What is a landrace? and what is blight-resistant landraces?

[@christineedwards4865]

@@MO-he1gi ​ Blight resistant tomatoes are naturally resistant to blight due to their genetics. When they say they're working with a "landrace," it means they're growing an open pollinated variety as opposed to a hybrid, saving the seeds, and growing the next generation to save those seeds. Over time, you form a "landrace," which is a new term (that I think comes from the cannabis growing wold) for creating a cultivar that is adapted to your particular growing conditions.

[@noahg8328]

Landraces?

[@kaittemurry4740]

What are landraces

[@christineedwards4865]

I love the side by side comparison. That's the first time I've seen them compared like that. You're right about how mulching your plants makes a big difference in preventing soil-borne diseases compared to bare dirt, but I did not expect the straw to outperform the mulch by that much. Very impressive. I'm glad you noticed the deficiencies (your cucumbers are also showing signs of a nutrient deficiency in their leaves), it's a very common issue with straw bale gardening, but with some more experimenting you can figure out how to prep your bales so that becomes less of a problem. I looked up your soluble fertilizer, and I think you might also need to add some cal-mag for a quick fix. The bone meal has some of the right minerals, but will take too long to decompose so it won't be very effective for your current plants. It's best to add bone meal a few weeks before planting. You've definitely earned my subscription with this one.

[@SilverSaabArc]

You can also grow oyster mushrooms in the straw! Right around August Ill inoculate yellow oysters in the straw, which is when your bale will need the most frequent watering. It will take a bit for the spores to spread, and the moment the weather cools in October it will explode into a flush of mushrooms, and oysters will out compete disease causing fungi as it colonizes. ❤

[@christineedwards4865]

That's an excellent idea. Do you also fertilize? How do they react to the fertilizer? I've seen oyster mushroom mycelium eating cigarette butts in a petri dish, so I know they can handle a lot.

[@SilverSaabArc]

@@christineedwards4865 They (the mushrooms) don't seem to mind. They love high nitrogen, straw covered in urine in livestock stables grow commercial crimini/button mushrooms. 😉 The mush that the bales break down into is magic for your dirt based beds, and if you add mulch on top if the spent mushroom straw, you might get a small flush of oysters in late spring (but they will out compete purple Allysum and basil seedlings if you live-mulch with groundcover lol). I only use organic liquid ferts on the straw, and water the tomatoes with cooled down boiled egg water for some extra (what I hope is) bio available calcium. I haven't noticed blossom end rot on any of the cherry types. Kellog breakfast (large yellow beefsteak) suffered a bit. You will want to shade your straw beds (I just use old tarp), it helps keep the roots cooler and makes for less water usage!

[@christineedwards4865]

​@@SilverSaabArc Button mushrooms have quite a different preference for substrate, it's interesting that they have that one in common with the oysters. Very cool. This would definitely take straw bale gardening to the next level. I'm not sure how effective your egg water is, but it can't hurt. If there are issues, they will almost always show up on your larger tomatoes first. Cherry tomatoes are pretty resilient.

[@debbiedavid4392]

Thank for this video. I’ve shared with my just Grad. G-Son, I think he will learn a lot from you ! My question is …setting the tomatoes into the Straw only or bore a hole and set the plant into it with NO soil ??? Was late planting my new raised beds (1) of 2 so I may find some straw bales to fill it. Just amazing what God has given us. Might take a while to find things that work better, but you my friend are on it !!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@vivkeneally4116]

Congrats on finding the perfect method for growing tomatoes in your area! Guess you'll be wanting even more bales next year. Want to say that I love the way you give us your well-thought-out theories about garden questions.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You know, I just expanded my entire container garden area...and now I think I didn't do it enough 😂 I will definitely be doubling down next year, as well as trying a few other things.

[@MrWolfheart111]

@@TheMillennialGardener ... How to Sterilize Soil found in the wild?

[@debbybrady1246]

Good 'ol Ruth Stout! I've grown by her methods for many years.

[@dehnadykeman3614]

Would LOVE a video on how you fertilize the strawbales at this point in the season.

[@Gardeningchristine]

I have 3 big crates full of last year’s leaves, that I’m growing potatoes in, and I’ll put squash in when the 🥔finish. Experimenting is fun!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I bet that works well. Potatoes will grow in almost anything. They're so underrated. They're the easiest thing to grow. I can't figure out why so few people grow them.

[@dwatland3712]

I’ve done straw bale gardening for years. Blossom end rot in bales usually comes from inconsistent watering. Put them on a timer so each bale gets 1 gallon of water per day. For me I do 5 minutes at 7 am and 7 pm. Also get a moisture meter to check the bales so they don’t get dried out or water logged. The heavy rain can wash the nutrients out of the bales, so they will need to be fertilized again. I usually do 10-10-10 monthly.

[@MrWolfheart111]

Straw Bales are mostly used for Mushrooms right. Like the magic kind?

[@cherylanon5791]

for decades I've grown in ground, wide beds (or at least 2 rows wide, such as green beans) and mulched thickly with straw. Look up Ruth Stout (she used hay, as well as straw). Live a little longer and you're almost there, I do appreciate seeing your energetic responses to all of what many of us have known for a long time, before there was a u-tube there were serious gardeners. I only wish I had your climate (which you say is difficult) instead of ours where we can and do get 5 ft of snow, no planting really until end of May.

[@md6397]

Right on. You said it in a more kind way than I was thinking it.

[@williamwoodhouse5711]

5791 is taking about mulching. When asked about her method, Ms. Stout stated;"You plant exactly as you always have, in the Earth. You pull back the mulch and put the seeds in the ground and cover them just as you would if you had never heard of mulching." This is a far cry from strawbale gardening. Nobody seems to have noticed the almost anonymous post above by Joel Karsten. He is the REAL DEAL and the patron saint of strawbale gardening. I have seen him interviewed on other channels. Through whatever intermediaries, we have gotten it all from him.

[@rach_just_rach]

Thank you. I have had a horrible year. Even my starts are showing signs of disease. Some didn't even make it out of the solo cups. I am afraid I will fail this year. I not seen bugs and diseases like the South, ever.

[@nikkistump3480]

Sweet dale 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

He's a good boy!

[@TexasSon74]

I'm here in North Texas. Hot and dry. My tomatoes grow til it freezes. Irish spring keeps the bugs away. Its rained more this spring than usual. Which made a ton of tomatoes. My peppers are covered already not even matured yet. Going to be a good year!

[@ericawentz2734]

Love your Adventures with Dale! He is a lucky pup!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

He is, but so are we. He's a good boy.

[@crazysquirrel9425]

I bought my straw bales last October. I even 'conditioned them' properly. They STILL have not broken down. Had to replant green bean seeds FOUR TIMES just to get some to sprout. This time I coated the top of the bales with about an inch or so of used coffee grounds.

[@cowboyblacksmith]

I’d be so afraid of that pesticide a lot of farms use now that kill vegetables. But your success with hay bales is very impressive. Blight takes all my tomatoes without fail no matter what I do.

[@bethb8276]

Are you referring to the Grazon they are using in hay fields? I've been afraid of that too.

[@myurbangarden7695]

I like this idea for renters and small space gardeners.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes, it is basically a container garden but a lot cheaper. Straw bales are far cheaper than potting mix.

[@KennethColeStatenIsland]

You are very good, and speak well which is key to watching any video. Thanks.

[@monicarolnickelson3492]

Another great video - love your enthusiasm and sense of humor! I tried straw bale gardening about 9 years ago. I'm in south Jersey and have gravel instead of soil, so it sounded like a great solution. The bales worked fabulously the first year and I was telling everyone they needed to try it. I had an explosion of tomatoes and cucumbers. The second year was disappointing, and the third year was basically a total failure. Bales are very hard to find here and I had to get then from a pet supply or garden supply store. The cheapest I got them was $12 each the first year and they were up close to $20 the third year. The stores couldn't tell me what kind of grain was used, and the 3rd year I was swamped with weeds growing in the bales. It irked me having to pay hundreds of dollars for something that is essentially a waste product of growing grain, and I had to make multiple trips in my SUV to get the bales since I don't have a truck. Plus cleaning all that straw out was a pain. So I switched to raised beds. I still miss all that great compost the bales made. I'll be watching closely to see how these do for you in future years. I loved seeing Dale at the beach! I don't think my golden chessy loves the beach very much but thinks of it as the necessary transition from the car to the ocean, which he adores above all else. He swims with pure joy, leaping out of the water like a dolphin, biting the waves, and yarping like a deal.

[@dizzysdoings]

About where in SJ are you? I know of an auction that sells straw at times, but you would need a way to pick up the bales.

[@monicarolnickelson3492]

@@dizzysdoings I'm just inland from Atlantic City.

[@dizzysdoings]

@@monicarolnickelson3492 unfortunately, it would take about an hour to get to the auction. At this time of year, they normally have straw. About the closest I get to AC is Forsyth wildlife refuge. I can see AC from there. 😄

[@monicarolnickelson3492]

@@dizzysdoings I'm pretty close to the refuse (rarely go to AC). Yes, that was pretty much what I found when I was using straw bales - had to drive several hours to get them.

[@dizzysdoings]

@@monicarolnickelson3492 went down to the refuge last year and the green heads were so bad it was like a scene out of The Birds!

[@chrisd_nc2816]

My wife and I love the videos. We are in Ocean Isle Beach. One thing you do not mention in your video and might be a reason for your great results this year is that we have not had severely hot weather yet. It’s been a relatively cool and wet spring. It will be interesting to see when the temperatures hit the 90s if the straw bale vegetables do as well.

[@jwrightgardening]

I've grown in straw bales several different years. They did really well in extreme heat if they were prepared properly because by the tone the heat hits, the bales have transformed into massive sponges that hold onto water and the plants have grown extensive root systems throughout the loose straw. The first year I tried it out with four bales set up in the far corner of my property where a hose can't reach. My tomatoes, peppers, and flowers did great throughput the summer with me only dragging a bucket of water out there once ever week or two.

[@Rick-the-Swift]

@@jwrightgardening Hi, thanks for your input. Could you explain a bit more about your straw bale preparation methods? Curious how the plants get their nutrients, including calcium magnesium etc. Also, do you directly sew seeds into them, or transplant etc. ? Good to hear of your great results!

[@jwrightgardening]

@@Rick-the-Swift It works best if you get the straw bales a few months before you want to grow in them. I soak them thoroughly for a few weeks. In my climate, it rains daily during the winter and early spring so I just set them out there and let them get nice and soggy. When they are wet, I sprinkle fertilizer on top and water it in. They will start to rot in the inside when I can tell because it starts to get hot. The fertilizer adds nutrients and also speeds up the decomposition process. You want the center to be well rotted and starting to cool down before planting. The outside will not look rotted at all but sometimes mushrooms start to appear which is a good sign. If you have all winter to wait (and your climate is wet), you can just let the straw sit there and rot without adding anything. When I'm ready to plant in the spring, I use transplants because I find it easier. It's easy for seeds to get watered down too far into straw. If you do use seeds, put a layer of soil on top, about an inch or two. When I put in the transplants, I take a weeding knife and stab it into the straw and twist it to make a hole. I just stick the whole plant in the hole without adding more soil.

[@jwrightgardening]

@@Rick-the-Swift One more thing, when the bales are two years old, you cut the strings and they basically fall apart into really nice compost. I used the decomposed straw bales to top off my raised beds.

[@Rick-the-Swift]

@@jwrightgardening Great advice, I have to try this, if not for the tomatoes and peppers, then for the mushrooms at least! How blest we are to have such abundance of food, knowledge, and ability. Thanks for sharing yours!

[@leslietromski3395]

I love your channel. I tell people gardening is just one big science experiment. If one thing doesn't work to your satisfaction try something else. Can't wait until next summer for the next step in bale gardening.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes, that is true. I'm a professional engineer full-time, and I use far more science gardening than I do in my job.

[@CharlieM-t7y]

It will be interesting to hear what the tomatoes taste like when grown in straw

[@mfag23]

I truly enjoy the content you share. Tarboro, NC here. Our tomatoes have flourished in a new garden this year.

[@ljgerken]

I have seen growers put a heavy layer of straw as mulch over their raised beds around the plants, with the drip line underneath, and that has deterred pests. I mean like four to six inches high. Mulch is key for me in the hot Florida months. I also use an overhead plastic sheeting that I can lower and raise over my tomato plants before a rainfall. It's draped over the trelice. Some plants have a 40% shade cloth over them also so they don't stress in the heat. While I don't have full sun areas in my yard due to many oak trees, I do take advantage of partial shade with about 3-4 hours of morning sun and maybe 2-3 hours of mid afternoon dappled light for plants. I just cannot grow regular tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes in that. At least not successfully yet.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Mulch is not adequate to solve my problem. My problem is the soil itself. Last year, all my indeterminate tomato plants were killed by wilt virus. Every. Single. One. Some took longer than others, but it was depressing. I knew I had to make a change and get them out of the soil. Also, about 1/4 of the indeterminate plants I pulled had root knot nematode problems. My tomatoes just *hate* the soil here, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result, so I knew I had to try something radically new. I must say, getting the plants out of soil has been a revelation. Give beefsteak tomatoes a try using this method next year. Start them early so they're flowering in late March/early April while it's still cool at night, and you may be shocked what you can grow.

[@mariap.894]

Ground nematodes! 😮😮😮 My nemesis 😬😬😬😬😡

[@ljgerken]

@@mariap.894 plant marigolds or stinky type spices to ward off nematodes.

[@FloridaGirl-]

I had awesome tomatos this yr. Am in SW FL. I seed my own in pots then transplant them out about end of Feb. I had 12 this year and they were so productive. I just pulled the last ones out. Tomatos coming out of my ears. Made a long row and I just keep chop and dropping on it. Grass clippings, coastal straw, bush clippings, spent plants , etc. Down here you need bio mass. This sun dissipates everything quick down here. But it’s done wonders for growing. I also use soaker hoses which helps alot. Building the soil is #1.

[@FloridaGirl-]

@@mariap.894i did experiment this yr. I have raised beds (no problem), and some in ground beds. One smaller bed I noticed the knot root destruction last year. So, this spring I ammended that bed again. Planted 4 tomato plants in it and french marigolds inbetween and around the area of tomatos. Even had a watermelon pop up. I covered area with coastal straw. And everything grew great. i just pulled tomato plants. Being my season for tomatos is done. I inspected the roots for the root knots. They were slight. Way better then last year. Marigolds still in. And collecting seeds. I have real tall marigolds (mission giants), as well in another area. I went through and cut the flopped over ones. And chopped them up in a 5 gal bucket. Took half of that, put it in another 5 gal bucket and filled with water. And put lid on. Stirring it daily. After 5 days, I will take the marigold tea, and do a drench on the nematode area. And just scattered the other chop and dropped on the soil. When It is time to totally take out the marigold plants. I will cut them at the ground, but leave the root in, as that is the part that really detours the nematodes. I will continue to keep putting marigolds in that bed. it really does work. i would say from last year. The roots looked about 85% better. The plants actually grew well. And am soon going to pick the watermelons off the vine. Good luck. But you should try it. 👍

[@cbak1819]

That is awesome! I live in a northern climate and don't have issues until August. Just think of all the time you will have not having to constantly succession plant. ❤

[@JM.TheComposer]

Congratulations! Your determination and ingenuity never cease to inspire and amaze!

[@PharMamaUSA]

You’ve convinced me to try this method in 2024. My squashes are always killed by pests. Just bought jacks water soluble from your link. Thank you!!

[@valoriegriego5212]

Sweet to hear of the success of your straw bale garden. The plants look great.👍I'm looking forward to your future experiments with the straw bales.😃 Hey, beach baby Dale!🐕

[@mam564]

I absolutely love your channel! You are the best! Thanks for sharing your immense knowledge!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the video 😊

[@keyphabenyisrael3219]

I'd love to see you make a video on how you set up the bales. I think I see both organic and synthetic fertilizer at the base of the plants?

[@ajuvix]

Thank you so much for this. I'm an organic gardener. I had given up on my vegetable garden after last years decimation from pests and disease. I'm in VA so I get the same weather.

[@smas3256]

DIY row covers. Reusable for years. Marigolds and basil. Rain barrel on corner of house to collect rain from gutter downspouts. Municipal water is expensive and has chem to kill bacteria that also kills some bacteria in the soil that the soil needs for healthy soil biology meaning less fertilization expense. Do only what you can afford. Prayers don't cost anything. My prayer is for what I need and what my garden needs and for whatever our farmers need in my state.

[@sharonclarke596]

I've encountered the exact same results! I'm in western NC zone 7b, and this is my 2nd year to grow in straw bales.... specifically tomatoes because of disease issues. I am in awe of the tomato production and disease resistance. I doubt I'll ever go back to soil with tomatoes.

[@Rick-the-Swift]

Hi. Can't wait to try this. Could you please explain a little about your set up and feed regimens? For instance, did you direct sew, or start with a little soil? Also, what ferts if any are you using, and do they contain calcium, magnesium etc.? Thanks, and so glad toy hear your are having success!

[@sharonclarke596]

@Rick-the-Swift sure! I followed the "how to" outlined by Craig LeHoullier in his book, "Growing vegetables in straw Bales." He's one of the leading experts in tomato gardening at NC State University Cooperative Extension, and is a developer of tomato hybrids. He currently resides in Hendersonville, NC I believe. The book is short, sweet, inexpensive, and answers all your questions. But here's what I did based on the book: 1. Planted plants I had already started. I do have a lot of slug issues here, so it's easier for me to plant established plants.... plus I can jump-start the growing season. 2. I fertilize weekly. There's no nutrition in straw, so you must provide it. That being said, I don't purchase all the fertilizer. I make my own with what I have here on the property. What I happen to have in abundance is dandelion, dock, and comfrey. I make a tea out of this, inoculated with compost and sea water. I fertilize every other week with the home made fertilizer, and every other week with store bought.... just to be sure I'm covering my bases with broad spectrum nutrients. Sometimes I have other things I can add to the home made blend... like kelp, fish emulsion, nettles. I use what I have.

[@sharonclarke596]

@Rick-the-Swift for my organic fertilizer, I'm currently using espoma brand. The only soil I used was whatever amount was in the cups I started the tomatoes in, plus any additional to pack the plant solidly in the bale. That's it.... not much.

[@sharonclarke596]

@Rick-the-Swift also, it's really imperative that the straw bales are prepared properly. This process is outlined in the book and would be way too long for me to type out on here. Also, be sure your straw has not been chemically treated with round up (and many are, especially the bales that come from the big box stores) or your plants will die of course.

[@sharonclarke596]

@Rick-the-Swift I hope this all helps! My tomatoes are amazing this year! You should see the abundance of fruit on each plant! Really incredible....

[@ginasewsandgardens]

Are you going to make a video teaching us how to plant in straw bales? And where we can actually get the straw bales?

[@warriormamma8098]

Thank you! I need all the help I can get in zone 9b as a 2nd struggling gardener!

[@sharonrichardson6531]

The best garden I've ever grown was in straw bales. Yes, it will work wonderfully with the bales on top of your raised bed! I garden organically. Used blood meal, bone meal and wood ashes to condition the bales for three weeks prior to planting. I'm 76 years young with back issues now, and live in in town, but if we can get the bales, and a little help, I'd like to do it again. In Oklahoma City area.

[@lynnlovessoil]

Nice results so far! Very impressive with the squash pest pressure!! Craig LeHoullier, the tomato man, is a big proponent of straw bale gardening.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I think he lives in Raleigh. We’re practically neighbors 😆 🍅

[@lynnlovessoil]

⁠@@TheMillennialGardenerhe moved from Raleigh to Hendersonville NC

[@annebeignatborde1832]

I live in north west France where it rains a lot, I grow my tomatoes in a greenhouse so that they're not getting their leaves wet for days and weeks.. They're the plants that I have the least disease and pest problems with.

[@vibrantbiztoday1]

You make me feel better about my tomato struggle!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The struggle is real in the South. This isn't like gardening where I used to live in NJ. I think if I ever moved back there I could grow tomatoes blindfolded after living here 😅

[@marygagliardi5315]

Two words: companion plants. We have basil or Marigolds planted around our garden and we haven’t had one instance of bugs. Last year I don’t think we had two squash plants the whole summer… this year we’ve been over run with large beautiful squash!

[@smas3256]

Marigolds and basil are great planted near cucumbers too. Started them early from seed. We plant them between and or near all our plants and rarely see pest beetles. Lady bugs were on a tomato leaf. Everything is healthy in the ground and in pots. Zone 6b. P.s. I saved seeds from my purple basil last fall and had 100% germination. Weather really sucks few quick light showers. Heavy mulch and rain barrel. Gov called state of emergency for farms here

[@MrWolfheart111]

"companion plants. Marigolds and basil... pests " Thank You, That helps alot. June 28 - 23, I grew a whole lota both, I'll spread them around a bit. Back and front of the house. Bless.

[@yx6889]

OMG, zone 7b here, this year has been horrible for early blight and blossom end rot! I'm ready to try the straw bales!

[@otiswinters3674]

Wow! What a game-changer! I live in Cypress, TX northwest of Houston and as everyone knows, Houston is infamous for summertime heat and humidity! Incredible information and I appreciate you sharing it with your YT subscribers. Keep your great videos coming!

[@smas3256]

You have your own artesian well that goes down to primary water? I'm in a blue state and towns here each home, duplex, business and municipal buildings have artesian wells. Town, where I lived in years was being pressured by outside environmental b.s. wanted to put in town water. Everyone was ready for a fight. The town's people won. We built, paid for install of our artesian well. Pump lasted nearly 20 yrs before repair. Personal reasons why we moved.

[@mariap.894]

​@@smas3256 So, where did you move to? 😮

[@SeekingBeautifulDesign]

For disease on the lower tomato leaves, I wonder about the splash theory. Your raised beds were wood chip mulched. I have done the same, and have also had lower leaf issues...but there really shouldn't be so much splashing. I used a lot of wood chips and you look like you have a decent layer. Could the additional height of the straw bales be the difference? Extra air circulation and reduced humidity through the extra 10" of height? Grow in a mulched soil container raised up a bit? And taking it even further, there are tomato growing systems that have a soil bag on a tower. Tomato grows out and down from the bag. In terms of confusing pests and bacteria/fungi having a tomato growing downwards could be a thing. You already have a watering system setup. There is a report out of Texas that upside down planter tomatoes avoided blight when the state was hit in 2020.

[@mama-cant-dance]

Same conditions here in Virginia. We love your gardening tips!

[@EvolutionWendy]

Good time! I've been watching your channel offering about 18 months. Yesterday I got my first beefsteak, the incredibly early TerraCotta. I didn't want the terracotta, so I sprouted seedlings last, but it set fruit so fast it's the first beefsteak. I hear they *live fast and die young,* sounds like a good choice for your millennial garden

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's great! If you are looking for beefsteaks that are earlier and more disease resistant, try Big Beef, and I'm *really* impressed by Carmello so far. If Carmello tastes good, I may make it a staple in my garden. Also, thank you so much for your generous support of my channel! I really appreciate it.

[@whohash8312]

Youre always trying new stuff. Mu ch appreesh.

[@VermiCast_Garden]

That is interesting! Please keep us updated on the straw garden. Thanks for sharing.

[@pamela8368]

Thank you! This information is golden. I always lived in the north east where growing is easy. I'm in Florida now and it is extremely challenging. You are a book if knowledge😊

[@mariap.894]

I agree 100%! Challenging is an understatement 😊❤

[@klsimon4]

We did straw bale the year before we left WA state (bad drought that year with fires). Since we had hard pan, I shoved out a shallow trench for the bales so that the hard pan functioned like a drip pan. We also set it up with plastic over the wire support (described in the strawbale garden book) to extend the growing season on both ends. Everything did well in the bales except kale, and we were eating vine ripe tomatoes nearly to Thanksgiving. They do dry out easy, but the bales provided really rich growing medium once the worms moved in. We conditioned the bales initially with the lawn fertilizer, then switched to organic so that the bales would heat up properly.

[@klsimon4]

If we lived in an area where bales were easy to get and cheap, we would do them again

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I will say with the tarp down at the base and the drip lines I ran, I haven't had any issues with drying out, and it's been in the upper 80's here for 2 weeks straight with no rain. It's been really easy. I turn on the spigot and come back 30 mins later to turn it off. I imagine the more humid your climate is, the more beneficial it is, since diseases in the PNW aren't too bad by comparison. If you've relocated to a hotter climate, it may be worth giving it another go with a tarp down at the base to prevent them from drying out.

[@CritterRepairTech]

Excellent video! Straw bale gardening seems to confuse squash beetles which is a plus. Looks like Dale enjoyed his beach visit, too. 🐾❤

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Along with all the other pests! I'm sure the awful leaf footed bugs and stink bugs will eventually find them, but I'm thinking of throwing insect netting over the trellis.

[@conniefinley5141]

Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you so much for your support and generosity! I really appreciate it ❤

[@mariacarter938]

I have had a better garden this year because of following you. Thank you for your knowledge of gardening. I am in Tn and I don't have any blight yet on my tomatoes either.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! I'm so glad the videos have been helping you. You're probably a few weeks behind me, so stay vigilant. The diseases are starting to take hold here, so they're coming.

[@mariacarter938]

@@TheMillennialGardener I have the only onions ever because I started from seed in January. Have you gotten any ripe tomatoes yet?

[@2006marsha]

I’m going to try doing this real soon. Thank you Dale.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@daleparks6781]

Great method with straw bails I will try that next grow season 👍

[@austinwilloughby3439]

That's great ! I have the book on this! No splash up dirt from the ground! Great videos! Thanks for the wonderful information! Great looking plants! I'm trying this for my late garden ! Thanks again! Marlene from SC!

[@WR_CTorch]

A very interesting experiment. Looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks for sharing!

[@joycreated]

I'm challenged finding organic straw or hay! 😢 I wish he had shown actual planting! Interesting idea!

[@brendam7772]

Look for Amish farmers in your area. They are usually very careful with growing techniques!

[@Jim19826301]

Calmag might help with the straw beds too.

[@jayduplessis7698]

So happy to see you've finally found a solution to your fungal disease issues after all these years! Looking forward to your expansion and experimentation next year. Maybe you can even bring back some of those heirloom varieties you've had to let go!

[@Fred_Nickles]

My tomatoes this season have done everything to the opposite of normal. My oldest tomatoes are also in a raised bed that had tomatoes last season. Not a single diseased leaf. My new bed with younger tomatoes might as well be an aphid habitat because was the only thing growing for a while 😅

[@Braddy_Daddy]

I love your “experiments”. Garden looking great!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@Amanda-cn3pk]

I use a thick layer of straw in all my veggie beds and grow bags. My plants look great too, Im sure our mild weather is helping this yr.

[@ginasewsandgardens]

Another great video thank you so much you are a genius

[@anthonymunster3696]

Love it! Very cool and proof splash up from soil is very bad! I will have consider this carefully for my specif areas! Thank You!

[@TexasNana2]

Dale is the best 🤗 Love your experiments 👍 BTW... I hate it when insects don't answer my questions 😉🙋‍♀️

[@tieulam27]

The audacity 😅

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! Insects are terrible conversationalists. Dale is much better to talk to 😎

[@mariap.894]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 The comment section is the best!😂😂😂😊❤

[@erikahuxley]

I have done it before and get pretty good results, I like the fact the straw break down into compost by end of season. I don't have my own truck in order to haul so many bails otherwise I would do this method more.

[@emylytle7149]

I wonder if you can do this on fine wood chips 🤔 I would like to try it, thank you Dale, you always give good advice on gardening love it 😊👩‍🌾👍👍

[@almabracete394]

Congratulations! Always enjoy your videos, specially since I live in the same growth zone as you do.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!

[@Gkrissy]

Good job! I have heard of straw bale gardening from other youtubers but never could see the benefit. But since I have the humidity pressure as well, I would consider it. Good experiment.

[@robertr1096]

After seeing the success "Gardening with Leon" has growing cucumbers in barrels of hydroponic solution, I gave that a try this year. My set up was outside though. The 3 vines started out looking amazing and set dozens of blossoms. I only harvested a few cukes before everything turned yellow and died. Not sure if is the N. Florida heat or what happened. Looked like squash vine borer type of damage but I don't see any. I may try the straw bales next year. Thanks for your great instructions on preparing the bales. I will have to re-watch that video.

[@smas3256]

Garden and pots heavy mulch, grass clippings work great just don't spray with chemicals to kill weeds. We have rain barrels catching water from our rain gutter from the down spouts. Cleaning screen on the barrel is only needed after trees blooms etc catches them so they don't go into barrel and clog the spout on the bottom of the barrel "faucet" open and shut. 1/4 inch rain fills it. We have empty buckets collecting water also. Covers for bucket when not raining. We could have 4 rain barrels at each corner of the house and 4 on the shed if we wanted.

[@lynettetucker544]

Thanks that's a good idea and tip.

[@nildaotero2933]

Thank you so much for all the info. Excelent idea.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@SingANewSong5784]

WoW, I’m going to have to try this straw bale method. Great informative video!! Thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@huertomipequeñoeden9425]

Bro I'm about to go buy some strow now..thanks 4 the tip

[@anbb5114]

I do 'wall to wall' weed barrier and love it. Why not use all weed barrier without the bales? Advantages are the same as bales without the use of extra water and nutrient loss.

[@proficientprepper]

Great video, I've never tried straw bails. I'm gonna give this a shot.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome!

[@cbak1819]

Wow ! as I watch that's crazy great!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It has made all the difference. Next year, I may not grow any tomatoes in my raised bed garden. I may double down on the straw garden area.

[@cbak1819]

@@TheMillennialGardener loads of people garden that way.. with the pest pressure you have it's a wise choice. I'm curious to see the outcome of placing the bales on the raised beds.

[@kathleenhunter3161]

Love your videos. I appreciate your taking the time to share your expertise with use. I’ve considered straw bales but worried I’d get something treated with that stuff that kills everything for years even in the manure of animals that ate it. Also this is my first experience gardening in an area where you have poisonous snakes. Would you make a video on your precautions etc. thanks

[@clashwithkeen]

I just found out about this today. It's very scary stuff. It could render your soil inert for up to 10 years.

[@catherinevau5086]

Thanks for this incredible information. Guess what I will be doing next year? Tractor Trailer Supply has awesome fresh hay...

[@FC-cz6zd]

Excellent stuff! The only possible concern is the straw or hay being sprayed with herbicides, particularly Grazon. Just a thought.

[@susiesue5237]

This was my concern as well. I have been unable to find anyone who has bales with unspayed hay or straw.

[@susiesue5237]

@@emilybh6255 I knew about manure, but mushroom compost? Could it have manure mixed in the mushroom compost? I use worm castings to avoid grazon, but I thought mushroom compost would be another safe option. Sigh. Thanks for the heads up.

[@FC-cz6zd]

@@susiesue5237 we have a horse and I've been using leftover hay as mulch. I was assured it wasn't sprayed. It's been a couple months now. So far so good so I'm sure it's clean. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

This is straw. Straw is not used to graze on, so the chances of it being sprayed by something like Grazon is extremely low. It is possible it's been sprayed by something like RoundUp, but RoundUp is absorbed through leaves, not roots, so if the straw was treated, it likely will not affect your plants. By the time it reaches market, it's long been degraded and any trace residue isn't absorbed through roots, anyway. If you use hay, there is a *much* higher risk. You can test your hay or straw like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6DCapV3bKykZ8U

[@susiesue5237]

@@TheMillennialGardener I am going on what I've heard others say. I don't grow it, so I don't have personal experience. I'm so paranoid about getting ahold of Grazon and ruining our garden that I'm still leary. However, I hope you are right. BTW, I really enjoy your vids and appreciate your willingness to share.

[@jerseygirl5486]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I’m so happy to hear you had success with the straw bales. Unfortunately, I did not.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

What was the sticking point?

[@jerseygirl5486]

@@TheMillennialGardener I’m not sure what you are trying to ask but the main issue I had was the bales broke down too fast; held moisture and caused rot and disease to my plants.

[@TnT_F0X]

I might have to give away a couple tomato plants... I counted 30... But I planted 50 seeds and thinned them twice! If I give a couple away I will have a nice healthy 28 tomato plants this year. Black Brandywine, Old German, roma, and some Cherry Varieties that worked well last year + White Beefsteak, Rosella, Black cherry, and Crimson Blueberry varieties... And a whole bag of 'rainbow' heirloom intermediate tomatoes. Next year I plan to just do the best performers, like how I picked my core plants for this year.

[@TnT_F0X]

my old World German duo have around 8-10 half dollar+ sized tomatoes already, Zone 6a, greenhouse. Yellow pear cherry was the first to have full sized tomatoes, should be ripening any day now! 2-3 more weeks for a bigger tomato... maybe around the 4th I'll have garden tomato salad! If you want great colder weather tomatoes... old World German is the best I've found so far, and its a strange plant it'll ripen tomatoes from cherry sized to 6+ inches wide on a whim.

[@mompuff]

Awesome video!! Thank you!! I’m going to try the straw bell method next time!! 🙌🏻🦋🤗

[@tradermunky1998]

As someone that struggles growing tomatoes in the south, my curiosity is piqued. The high temps are tearing mine up right now 😂 Super cool, I have to try it out now.

[@tammyohlsson7966]

This is my third year using SBG. I’m in SE Texas. Hot humid bug ridden! SBG is my best option. I fertilize every other week. Second year bales are so fabulous!

[@tradermunky1998]

@@tammyohlsson7966 I'm in Dallas, if it works there it should work here!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I've been trying to find a solution for my woes for years, now, and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If you're struggling, try something radical like this. Even if you just do it off to the side as a project and see how it performs. This has been a revelation for me, and I won't have to worry about root knot nematodes, too! If you're in Texas where your summers are hot and dry, please put the straw bales down on a tarp like I did. If you place them on the ground, they'll leach water and nutrients into the soil and they'll dry out and become depleted. The long 40' tarp is doing wonders to lock in the water and nutrients so every time I run drip irrigation or it rains, it doesn't run into the ground.

[@tradermunky1998]

@@TheMillennialGardener Great tips! Can't wait to try it. I bet it's also great for okra if it helps with nematodes.

[@mariap.894]

Nematodes!!! 😮😮😮😮 What to do with those suckers??🤔

[@sylvia10101]

Amazing! Thank you MG for sharing this! Go Dale!! 🏖 😊👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@onedazinn998]

Everything looks great so far and yes I did do strawbale years ago and it's a fabulous method if you plan ahead and find organic straw bales with no seed heads. I used 1-2 tbs alaskan fish emulsion, 1 part human urine (drug free only) to 10 parts water to innoculate the straw bales 3-4 months before planting in early spring and only had to water the bales once a week if it didn't rain. In a drought you'd have to water 1-2 times a week. I did use a couple of handfuls of compost at each plant transplant (I didn't try growing from seed in them) Downside is mice, chipmunks will get into the bales as they age. My bales lasted 3 years and produced the very best soil. Try to get bales using nylon twine and not wire. I'm glad you posted this because I need another area for some tomatoes and I didn't even think of using the bales :) great idea!

[@shk2564]

I’m in VA just over the NC line north of Greensboro (zone 7a) and the only pests I have seen so far this year were some aphids on a couple weeds in a bed that I hadn’t gotten to weeding yet. I made a organic mixture up in a spray bottle and killed them and removed them and haven’t seen anything else since except some small light purple moths/butterflies that I chased away with the water hose for a few days because nothing was blooming yet and I was afraid they were looking to lay eggs. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@ritalr15]

I am using chicken manure bedding water to see how it works. It's great for the citrus.

[@ivahihopeful]

Unrelated, but 111 mph winds were recorded in my city this morning. A tree fell on part of my garden. An utter mess, but I’m sick with flu symptoms and can’t even think about it until tomorrow. Beit Alphas sown, btw.

[@TheOnlyKontrol]

I feel like a good solution for some people to try compared to this is sub irrigated planters…like a earthbox. My two tomato’s in my earthbox currently are the healthiest out of all of mine.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes. Tomatoes like being planted near creek beds where they can tap into a non-stop water supply, but in a climate where it doesn't rain. They hate getting wet. A self-watering container with a bottom reservoir will mirror their preferred environment. Tomatoes grown in greenhouses hydroponically are the best of them all. You can get crazy results if they're kept perfectly dry with a deep water source. This is as close as I can get out in the open in my yard.

[@plantlady328]

Make absolutely sure that the straw or hay you get has not been sprayed with any herbacides! Hay that has not been sprayed is very hard to come by around here in South Alabama. I also have horses and try to feed them clean hay because I compost their poop for my raised beds. Even with composting their manure, it will still kill tomatoes and other crops if the hay they ate has been sprayed with herbacide.

[@LongBinh70]

Western Connecticut here. This is my 7th year having an exclusive straw bale garden, and I'll never go back to a soil garden. This year I pushed the start time a little too early, because bales give off heat during the process of decomposition, and we got hit with a late Spring frost. The seedlings were already planted, so I was stuck. I installed tomato cages over everything, then slid a black garbage bag over everything. My bales are intact, not broken down like yours. Air temp overnight got down to 28*F, yet everything survived. One of the Super Sweet 100s got temporarily stunted, but others are fine. My bales sit directly on the weed barrier, no additional tarp. Then, if a heavy rain hits, the excess water just drains out. Last year the bale with bush-type beans sat in a puddle, and by harvest time the bale was totally rotted and broken down. This year I went with real string beans, but they aren't doing well. First plant that hasn't worked in all these years. My zuccini still gets borers, so don't stop looking. Pumpkins only work if I let the vines immediately find a grass field after they leave the bale. They hate weed barrier. At the end of the season what's left of the bales get pitchforked into the tractor bucket, then dumped into the woods. I don't have a compost pile, but I'm sure they would be a great addition.

[@tammyohlsson7966]

Your throwing away gold! Use those old bales!

[@maxniederer181]

How do you prepare the bales? Thank you !😊

[@joanpulley9722]

Great video ..thank you ...very interesting

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@susanh824]

I look forward to your experiments with straw bales next year! I hope to find some straw bales to see how they will do for me.

[@tammyohlsson7966]

I have used hay as well. It breaks down faster. Make sure they have not been treated with Grazon.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

After this experiment, I will *definitely* be expanding the setup!

[@sislertx]

My artichoke plants that are way past done act like a squash bug trap...i pull off a out 30 each day...and i look for eggs all the time!!! I highly recommend to grow them as a veggie than a trap

[@patriciavaldoz8223]

Do you have a video on how you installed the straw bales, tarp, and weed barriers? Thank you.

[@ritcheymt]

Great video; thanks! I am so bummed there is no option to save it!

[@millionairementality_]

Excellent information Thank You!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@robyrcmp]

Great content and info.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@bdwon]

Do you solarize your raised bed soil before planting? If your hypothesis about reduced insect and pathogen pressure helping your plants is correct, then doing something to reduce that pressure even in soil might help.