Turn fall decorations into spring planters

By Sheila Cubick

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

Straw-bale gardening is a popular technique that involves planting directly into bales of straw. This has many advantages. It is an inexpensive way to create raised beds for those who have mobility issues. It is also a great solution to gardening in areas with poor soil or no soil as in urban areas where the only choice may be container gardening.

One disadvantage of using straw bales is the length of time required to begin the decomposition of the straw so that it will create the beginning of a soil medium in which your plants will grow. Plants require nutrients to grow, which they normally take in from the soil through water. So the straw bale must begin to decompose and cool down to ambient temperature before plants can safely access those nutrients and not be “cooked” by the composting process in the bale.

The bale conditioning process can take three to four weeks after placing the bales and watering them regularly. To speed the process there is an 11-day regimen involving watering and adding urea, bone meal or compost. (See our website for complete straw bale gardening instructions.) You can avoid this lengthy process by reusing fall decorative straw bales for your spring straw bale garden.

After Thanksgiving and harvest festivals are over, move your bales to a place in your yard where you would like to have your raised garden beds in the spring. Once saturated, the bales become heavy and difficult to move so placement is important. Be sure to place the bales with the strings on the side so they stay firmly together and the strings don’t decompose and become weak. This means you’ll be placing the bale on its edge. Some gardeners will add extra string to be sure the bale holds together through the winter.

Throughout the winter months, the bales will naturally be watered. As the weather warms they will begin to decompose. In the spring when you’re ready to plant, your bales will be ready, too. Some bales may be used for two years. When the bale loses its structural integrity, simply compost it or work it into your flower beds.

So, instead of kicking that straw bale to the curb after the fall season, save those bales – and save yourself time. It’s a great way to take advantage of what you have – or what you get from your neighbor who loves to decorate.

For complete details and the recipe to prepare your bale for next year’s garden, visit go.osu.edu/strawbales.