In just a few weeks, they'll be home to vegetable plants of all sorts. I read about straw bale gardening and soil-bag gardens (literally growing veggies right in flag soil/compost bags) in Mother Earth News.* You soak the straw bales daily for a week to 14 days to get the inside good and saturated. I'm watering in blood meal to additionally treat the straw and get some initial nutrients down in there. When I transplant the veggies I'll add good quality compost in each hole. I started a bit late this year so I'll get plants from my local nursery. I do have some seeds started but they're mostly late-summer veggies and perennials. I also started a couple packets I found in my seed box in the refrigerator from 2005. They're sprouting! By using materials that cover the turf grass, I'll be taking care of two projects in one: growing a garden this season while covering and killing the turf grass. Next year I'll be able to till under all the compost, grass, straw and build proper raised beds with well-amended soil. In the meantime, I'll (hopefully) have my first real kitchen garden in years, organic of course.
Are you growing anything this year?
*I checked a bit ago and the website was down. I'd encourage you to try again later. There really are a lot of resources there.
