Can You Grow Tomatoes In Straw Bales

Using the straw bale method is a great option.

Can you grow tomatoes in straw bales. For gardeners without a plot of tillable land hay bale gardening is a way to garden in a relatively small space. You will need to water and fertilize the straw bales to prepare them for planting and keep your tomatoes growing. Unfortunately lesser quality cages will buckle under the weight of your tomatoes. Straw being used as mulch around a tomato plant.

My roses and and everything else around that i use the old bales with after the season is over with grows like the garden of eden around here packed with earth worms. Best organic fertilizers for straw bale gardening wood ash is an effective fertilizer for straw bale gardens. With vine tomatoes growing up canes or strings you can fit 3 or 4 plants per bale more with larger bales obviously but bush tomatoes take more room so less plants per bale. The great news is tomatoes grow well in straw bales.

Wire tomato cages work for medium sized plants such as peppers eggplants and compact tomatoes but taller plants can end up a bit unstable as they become laden with the harvest and the bales soften. Many gardeners utilize wire cages to provide growing tomatoes with support. Smaller varieties do particularly well because straw bales have less square footage to work with than the larger types. At the end of the growing season you can use the decomposed bales as mulch under your fruit trees or simply compost it further.

There are many above ground methods for growing tomatoes that have a variety of benefits depending on the climate and the amount of space you have for growing tomatoes. Tips for growing tomatoes in straw bales. There is a big difference in trying to grow vegetables in straw bales vs. Planting tomatoes in a bale of hay may seem like a strange gardening technique but it s actually a very effective and practical way to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes.

This article can help. Remember to tie your tomato plants to stakes or cages to support their weight as they grow. Here is a look at the 6 key secrets to success to create and grow your favorite vegetables in straw bales. How to grow tomatoes in straw bales.

6 secrets to success growing vegetables in straw bales 1 use straw bales not hay bales. It s important to remember the benefit of the straw bale method is primarily the warmth around the base of the plant and that the straw does not provide any nutrients. Yes you can grow tomatoes in straw bales. Looking for tips for growing tomatoes in straw bales.

Tomatoes are cheap to grow but expensive to purchase from a store therefore if you can produce tomatoes you should. I rotate the straw bales with tomatoes every year. It is also an ideal solution.