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Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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Posted by anney Georgia 8 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 2, 10 at 9:24
| Well, I reaped the generosity of a local hay farmer and brought home about 25 bales of spoiled hay yesterday and have had fun exploring the ways I can use it. In the past I've just used Ruth Stout's method of deep mulching, but that ain't the only way to skin a cat! [Watch the clip of her describing how she gardens with very little work at at least age 90 -- she was one amazing lady! And I loved her brother Rex Stout's mysteries back in the day...]
But on to something else... For those of you who have grown tomatoes in hay bales, I'm wondering about something. Several somethings, as a matter of fact...
Should you run your irrigation lines under or on top of the hay bales? If there's no water-splash onto the tomato plants, will diseases already in the soil beneath the hay infect your plants again, or will a deep hay mulch be a barrier that keeps them healthy?
No matter what I decide to do with these hay bales, it will be wonderful to not have to weed around my garden vegetables for a couple of years! Or at least not much! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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| I am jealous, but have nothing to offer. |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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| Watching that video inspired me to pick up a couple of Ruth's books at the library. I'd recommend anyone to watch the above video clip. |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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- Posted by anney Georgia 8 (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 12:14
| catwhisperer2009 Actually the interview is in three segments and I linked only the first one. The other two can be accessed by running your cursor over the thumbnails just under the clip when it's finished. I had totally forgotten, but apparently she was such a free spirit she gardened in the nude, as she recounts in the third clip. Additionally, she says she helped Carrie Nation chop up saloons with axes. She was also fiercely independent and did not believe that anyone had a right to tell others what to do about anything, herself about gardening included. Well, maybe with the exception of chopping up saloons... She just wrote and talked about what she did herself. |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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| Anney, have you done a search for "growing tomatoes in hay bales"? Should take you the better part of a day to read all the sites including some very interesting ones posted here on GW over the years. Lots of helpful ideas. |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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- Posted by anney Georgia 8 (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 15:25
| Nandina Yes, I did quite a bit of reading on the internet and was SURE I'd seen a couple of posts from an Aussie tomato grower-gardener here on GW. But since the computer system mess-up, there are only 8-9 results in the Growing Tomatoes forum for this topic. You kind of like to have access to somebody who's done it if they'll answer your questions! |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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| The hay has to be wet for the roots to grow into it so I would put the irrigation on top. The roots do penetrate the soil under the bales and I have had plants in bales affected by Fusarium wilt, so I suspect that nematodes would also affect roots as well, but splash-up foliage diseases will be reduced the same as they would be with any mulch. |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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| The clip itself was worth the price of admission! Thanks so much... |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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Anney,
I've never done it, but I believe I would just drill a couple of 1/8" holes in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, set it on the hay bale and fill it with the water hose. You will get all the benefit of the water and have it done in a matter of minutes. Wish I had your hay.
Best of luck, Bill.... |
RE: Growing tomatoes in hay bales
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- Posted by anney Georgia 8 (My Page) on
Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 17:15
| Yes, I was thinking that watering through the top of the hay bales might be best, too. I may just lay my drip hoses along the top of them. I don't think fusarium wilt and nematodes are problems in this area, though the funguses are. I can treat the soil with Sluggo before I spread the hay out, after the soil warms, to kill any slugs that think they're welcome. PS Wasn't Ruth Stout a character! You can't help but enjoy her speaking of her gardening method. |
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