This year I am trying a new way to garden, Straw Bale Gardening. I have a very nice raised bed planter next to my patio that I have used for many years. The last several years I have had problems with squash borers killing my zuchinni plants. These squash borers are very difficult to get rid of. I have decided to solarize the soil in this garden. This is done by covering the dirt in dark plastic all summer and letting the heat from the sun basically cook the soil killing all the bugs and larvae and weed seeds in the soil. This is supposed to be beneficial for the soil plus getting rid of the insects.
The problem with this is I will not be able to use my garden this summer, so I am trying planting in straw bales. You have to let the bales sit for a few weeks to age. I made a wedge in the bale with a shovel and placed some potting soil in it and then placed the plants in the soil. So, far so good. Keeping the plants watered seems it will be the biggest challenge. I have planted one zuchinni plant in one bale, 3 green peppers in one bale, 2 cucumbers in one bale, 2 Roma tomatoes in one bale and 2 grape tomatoes in one bale.
I will keep you posted on the progress.
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