Have you ever thought of using straw to grow your vegetables. Cathy Isom gives us some of the benefits of using a straw bale to grow a garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Straw bales can be a great outdoor lawn or patio accent to any home or place of business. But they can also be great for growing a garden. And the best part is, you won’t have to worry about any soil, dirt or mud messes, or the threat of annoying weeds. Let me repeat that, no weeds or dirt mess. Do I have your attention now?
Straw bale gardening is essentially a form of container gardening, with the container being the bale of straw itself. Straw’s hollow tube design helps to soak up and hold moisture, making it an ideal material for growing all sort of vegetables. All the 
straw bale garden requires is a great location where it will soak up about six to eight hours per day of direct sunlight.
You can start with one straw bale, or use many to create your unique and versatile garden. Straw bale gardens are an ideal alternative for those with physical impairments. You can also make them as tall as you’d like, which means no bending over.
Straw bale gardening can result in a 25% higher crop yield. This is mainly attributed to the excellent root run and air circulation. The bales also heat up much quicker than soil making them a perfect option for northern climates with shorter growing seasons.
The cost is pretty reasonable too. Depending on the size, straw bales could run anywhere from $7 dollars on up to $30 per bale. And you can order them online.
I’m Cathy Isom…
Be sure to check back in tomorrow. Cathy is going to tell us what you can grow in a straw bale garden and how to get started.
Image credits: (top left) view of the 8-bale garden/knitsteel/Flickr
(bottom right) Building the garden. Straw bales placed in rows/kayepants/Flickr