Straw bale gardening might be the easiest way to start a vegetable garden. It’s perfect if you don’t have a large yard and great soil or time to build a fencing structure. There is no need to amend the soil or build a raised bed. Straw bales are inexpensive and a way to control the size of your garden. Although you could use hay, straw is better than hay, because it doesn’t have seeds. It is weed free and able to hold a lot of water, due to the hollow center in each stalk. It doesn’t require anything but fertilizer and soil for the top to get started.

You can buy bales from a store, but try asking a local farmer first! Oftentimes, farmers will give you a straw bale for a very cheap price, if not free. Always make sure it is organic, though. Most vegetables prefer full sun, so placing your bale in the right conditions is key. After prepping bales for 10 days with fertilizer and water, the microorganisms begin doing their work. Seeing mushrooms? That means it’s the perfect combination of everything inside to get started!

Try all kinds of vegetables, like tomato, cucumber, squash, watermelon, and peppers! You can start your plants from seed or whole mature plants. Water your bales consistently, and you will be seeing results in just a few weeks! The best part is, that once your growing season has ended, the bales break down completely and you can spread the straw on a compost pile to be used again for the next year. It is sustainable and simple for every gardening dream. The fruits of your labor have never tasted so good.

Want to see a straw bale garden in action? The Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library has a straw bale garden at the back of the library, adjacent to the Nature Play Space already growing tons of juicy vegetables.