Growing toms in a straw bale

[jackyspratty]

Many years ago when I was a young teacher, in the days when rural science and horticulture were on the curriculum, we grew toms this way in the school glasshouse.

The head of Dept was a farmers wife and the straw bales came free! We filled 3 holes per bale with well rotted sheep manure from the school sheep and grew moneymaker toms in florists buckets with the bottoms cut out, filled with JI No3 compost that we mixed at school.

We had a giant crop and the tomatoes tasted fantastic!( A mean feat for Moneymaker!)

Well worth a try if you can get your straw for free.

Wow, can you imagine what a different pace we would live in if growing was a curriculem necessity! Not sure I can get them for free but will have a look around. Took some caterpillars into my sons primary this week and a a fair few of the kids didnt know what a nettle was, shame as we have a park next to the school and wods near by.

Nice to meet you Maddie, which part of leeds are you in? I may have to pick your brains in the future as Im a complet novice and its god to hear from a local girl!

[jackyspratty]

I think it's well worth a try if you can get the small bales - round here it's all huge bales you could grow a tree in.
I'd be interested to here how you get on, watering might be an issue, but it's an issue with grow bags too.
At the end of the season you should have a bonus of composted straw.

Not sure I'll be able to do it as am having a disaster on the allotment front! But I'd be really interested to hear if anyone is doing it now? Definately an idea worth storing away for the future

[Lovage]

Having read the article in the Garden magazine I've decided to have a go with straw bales. Just got 2 bales soaking, I've sat them on plastic so they won't dry out so much.
Will try courgettes and squash and let you know how it goes

[jackyspratty]

OOh lovely. Let us know how they go! Were the bales expensive or did you mange to get them free?