[ti:Don't Have Soil, Try Planting in Straw Bales]
[al:Health & Lifestyle]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-05-28]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]You do not need good soil - or even soil at all - to grow plants. Straw bales can work, too.
[00:11.20]Straw is the dry stems of wheat and other grain plants. 
[00:17.62]Straw bales are made of straw that has been tightly pressed together.
[00:23.93]They can be used to grow vegetables in a cost-effective and easy-to-care-for way.
[00:31.89]If you are going to use straw bales for your gardening needs, it is important to know what to look for.
[00:42.20]Avoid bales made of hay. 
[00:45.41]Hay bales contain seeds and are meant for horses.
[00:51.15]Straw is for gardening. Most of its seeds have been harvested. 
[00:58.67]There should not be many (or any) remaining seeds in the bale.
[01:05.54]Straw is less likely than hay to have been treated with chemicals that could slow your plants' growth or even prevent it.
[01:16.92]To be sure, it is a good idea to ask the seller if their bales have been treated with chemicals.
[01:26.66]It will take about two weeks to condition your straw bales.
[01:32.23]The process turns it into a fertile bed for plants.
[01:37.82]Choose an area that offers the correct amount of sunlight for the plants you will be growing.
[01:47.00]You can place the bale on any flat surface. 
[01:51.59]But keep in mind that after the bale is wet, it will be very heavy and difficult to move.
[02:00.45]Set the bale with its cut end facing up, then begin the conditioning process.
[02:09.04]During the first three days, apply water slowly and evenly until it begins to run out the bottom of the bale. 
[02:21.19]You can use equipment like a hose set over the top to do this.
[02:28.87]On days four through 10, spread 78 milliliters of herbicide-free grass fertilizer that contains at least 20 percent nitrogen.
[02:42.36]Spread it across the top of the bale.
[02:46.59]If you do not want to use chemicals, you can also spread a 50/50 mix of ground bone and blood.
[02:57.38]Water the bale to spread the fertilizer. But do not overwater. 
[03:04.48]That could wash out the nutrients.
[03:07.37]Continue to water the bale daily.
[03:11.39]The nitrogen will break the straw down and make the bale into a nutrient-rich environment for plants.
[03:21.37]As this happens, the center of the bale will heat up and then begin to cool. 
[03:29.07]It will be safe to plant seeds or young plants when the temperature drops below 38 degrees Celsius.
[03:38.12]Some mushroom growth at the beginning of the process is normal. 
[03:44.80]They will die down on their own.
[03:47.89]But do not eat them.
[03:51.09]Finally, it is time for planting.
[03:55.36]Make holes or cut open the top of the bale and plant your seedlings.
[04:02.28]Fill each hole with soil. 
[04:05.17]If you are planting seeds, make holes that follow the depth suggestion in the directions. 
[04:13.10]Drop larger seeds in, and then fill each hole with soil.
[04:19.68]If you are planting smaller seeds, spread some soil over the bale's surface, plant the seeds, and then spread more soil to meet the suggested depth.
[04:33.87]Continue to water your seeds or plants daily to make sure the center of the bale and the area around each plant are kept moist.
[04:46.29]Depending on the weather, additional watering may be necessary. 
[04:52.08]Do not let the bale dry out.
[04:55.82]Add fertilizer and amendments throughout the growing season as you would with normal plants.
[05:04.74]Many flowers and vegetables grow well in straw bales. 
[05:10.40]But vegetables that have heavy tops and shallow roots should be avoided.
[05:17.51]I'm Gena Bennett.