Hay Bale Gardens

** I think I read somewhere that you could grow potatoes in a hay bale. Found this about using hay/straw bales:

The Hidden Dangers of Straw Bale Gardening
https://thegrownetwork.com/hidden-dangers-straw-bale-gardening/

Straw bale gardening can destroy your garden.

A bold claim, but it’s true. And the evidence is mounting.

Straw bale gardens have taken off over the last decade or so. I’ve seen some really pretty and clever methods of straw bale gardening. Just a quick Google image search will show you lots of beautiful straw bale gardens. It makes you want to jump right in, doesn’t it?   ---CONTINUED---

ReadyMom wrote:** I think I read somewhere that you could grow potatoes in a hay bale. Found this about using hay/straw bales:

The Hidden Dangers of Straw Bale Gardening
https://thegrownetwork.com/hidden-dangers-straw-bale-gardening/

Straw bale gardening can destroy your garden.

A bold claim, but it’s true. And the evidence is mounting.

Straw bale gardens have taken off over the last decade or so. I’ve seen some really pretty and clever methods of straw bale gardening. Just a quick Google image search will show you lots of beautiful straw bale gardens. It makes you want to jump right in, doesn’t it?   ---CONTINUED---

The above is absolutely true. I grow my own hay and have never used chemicals of any kind for the exact reasons stated in the article.

I use my hay in the garden to put around my strawberry plants and then on top of them come winter. I also use my hay to grow my potatoes, I dig a troof and place hay in the bottom, place the potatoe on the hay and cover with soil.

Yes you can grow potatoes in a bale of hay, but remember what the article stated about chemicals.

The potatoes that you buy in the grocery store are loaded with chemicals, the same chemicals used in the weed killer roundup, that's a fact.

In order for a potatoe to ripen, the plant must die and the potatoe stays in the ground for about 14 days to 18 days until ripe. So what the potatoe farmers do is spray the plant with a form of roundup to kill the plant in order to harvest the potatoes.

ALL commercial farmers spray their fields while the plants are growning in order to keep the weeds down, that's why I grow my own stuff and feed me and the wife and that hay, corn, soybeans etc. is fed to my cows and chickens.

Straw Bale Gardening: How to Succeed
https://thegrownetwork.com/straw-bale-gardening/

  It’s a lot easier to have soil problems than soil perfection. But whether you’re dealing with pH complications, drainage issues, rocky or cold soil, or perennial pest and disease concerns, Joel Karsten has a solution for you . . . straw bale gardening!

(SNIP) ... If you have soil concerns, this method is worth considering. (Be aware, however, that there are some hidden dangers to keep in mind.)

The following article provides a summary of highlights from Marjory and Joel’s conversation.   ---CONTINUED---