No-Stoop Gardening Stanley Wise, Jr.

Union County Extension Director

Mississippi State University Extension Service

If you think that growing vegetables is too much work, then you might want to consider growing

vegetables in hay bales. Hay bales provide a well-aerated disease free growing medium that is

perfect for growing vegetables with no tillage required. Plus, hay bales are elevated off the

ground which makes them perfect for disabled gardeners or gardeners who have trouble bending

down.

Getting Started

Wheat straw, mixed grass or Bermuda grass hay bales will

all work just fine for growing vegetables. The hay or straw

should not have been treated with herbicides, as some hay

field and crop herbicides can affect the growth of vegetables.

Older hay bales that have begun to rot tend to work best for

this type of gardening. Fall decorating hay works great! To

help this process, it’s best to leave them out all winter before

planting into them in the spring.

Placing the Bales

Decide on a location for the bales. Place them where you intend to

use them, as they get very heavy when wet. For tomatoes or other

vegetables, the site should receive at least 6 hours of sun per day

during the growing season.

A hay baler cuts the hay when

baling, and one side will be

uniformly cut. Place the bales on

their narrow side, with the “cut

side” on top. (see picture on the

right)

Bales can be placed in many shapes to fit almost any space.

Place the bales on the ground, most weeds will not grow up

thru the bale and this will allow the roots of your plants to

eventually grow into the soil, which will increase fertilizer

and water efficiency.

Conditioning the Bales

The next step is to condition the bales. What is conditioning? When wet, hay bales will begin a

natural composting process in which they start to decompose. Mother Nature does a great job of

conditioning the bales if you get them placed several months in advance of the growing season.

This will cut down on the amount of fertilizer needed to condition the bale.

Mother Nature Conditioning

Place the bales in the proper site at least two months prior to the growing season. Sprinkle the

top of each bale with 1 cup of Ammonia Nitrate plus ½ cup of 13-13-13 (commonly known as

13-13-13) plus ¼ cup of 0-0-60 (Potassium or Potash). Mother Nature will carry these fertilizers

into the bale and will speed up the process of composting so that the bales will be ready at

planting time. You could also use manure or other natural fertilizers in place of the inorganic

fertilizers. The amount to use will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Dry Bale Conditioning

If you started the conditioning process late, this is the method to use. You will need at least 2 – 3

weeks to condition the bales for planting. If you do not condition the bale properly, and plant too

early, your results may not be satisfactory.

Day 1: Evenly sprinkle ½ cup of Ammonia

Nitrate across the top of each bale. Thoroughly

water this fertilizer into the bale and soak the

bale of hay with water until it is water logged.

Day 2: Water the bale again until it is completely

saturated.

Day 3: Evenly sprinkle ½ cup of Ammonia

Nitrate per bale and water the fertilizer into the

bale.

Day 4 & 5: Water the bale again each day until it

is completely saturated.

Day 6: Evenly sprinkle ½ cup of Ammonia Nitrate per bale and water the fertilizer into the bale.

Also, if you put your hand into the interior of the bale, it should be warm.

Day 7-8: Water the bale again each day until it is completely saturated.

Day 9: Apply 1 cup of 13-13-13 (commonly known as triple thirteen) plus ¼ cup of 0-0-60

(Potassium or Potash) water this fertilizer into the bale.

Day 10 - 13: Water the bale each day until it is completely saturated.

Day 14: Check the bale to see if it is ready by putting your

hand into the interior of the bale to see if it feels hot! This is the

last step in the conditioning process. If the interior of the bale is

above 125 degrees wait a few more days until the bale feels

cooler on the inside.

What now exists inside the bale is a dark nutrient and

micronutrient rich composted organic matter that is slightly

warmer than surrounding air and soil temperature as it is still

composting. It is weed and disease free and has good particle structure that holds plenty of

moisture but drains excess water easily. It is a plant seedling heaven!!

Planting

After your bales have been placed and conditioned, it is time to plant!

You can grow almost anything in a straw bale that you can grow in

the ground. You may find that some plants are easier than others.

Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and onions can be grown but

have some difficulty. Plants like corn tend to be too top heavy.

You can plant seedlings or seeds in the bales. Most seedlings can be

planted directly into the bale by pulling the bale apart and placing the

plant down into the composted material and firming the bale material

back around the plant.

If you want to plant seeds like beans, place a small layer of compost mixed with soil on the top of the

bale, like icing on a cake, and plant the seeds directly into the soil and gently water the planted mixture

being careful not to wash the soil off of the seeds.

Tomatoes love growing in the bales of hay. Each bale will support two tomato plants. Use tomato stakes,

to support the plants. Cages do not support the plants well enough.

Adding Additional Fertilizer

Just like in the garden, some vegetables, like tomatoes, require adding additional nitrogen when they start

to fruit. Calcium Nitrate is the suggested source of additional nitrogen. For tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of

Calcium Nitrate every two weeks after the plants begin to set small fruit.

Popular Plants for Gardening in the Bale

Plants Number Per Bale

Tomatoes 2

Peppers 4

Cucumbers 4

Squash 2

Pumpkin 2

Watermelon 2

Strawberries 4

Beans 12-16

Bales are only good for one

year of growing vegetables.