from an online article about herbs I read
Straw Bale Gardening
Kent Rogers of Wake Forest has successfully cultivated a vegetable garden in bales of straw. Carolina Country’s report on his idea last year drew attention from gardeners and others across the state. Kent points out that the method produces good-looking, healthy plants without weeds, and is especially convenient for people who don’t have a large plot of ground to till, or who are physically unable to do a lot of kneeling, bending, raking and hoeing. Here is some of his advice for people interested in straw bale gardening.
Preparing Your Bales
It takes 10 days to prepare your bales.
Days 1–3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them wet.
Days 4–6: Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day, and water it well into the bales. I didn’t have any trouble finding ammonium nitrate from my local ag-supply store. They sold it in 40-pound bags. I have heard, however, that some people have had difficulty finding it in more urban settings. Ask around.
Days 7–9: Cut back to 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate per bale per day and continue to water it in well.
Day 10: No more ammonium nitrate, but do add 1 cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale and water it in well.
Day 11: Transplant your plants into the bales. I used a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack back together as best you can.
Straw bale gardening
I use containers a lot and raised beds are a must. Besides being easier on the back they help keep pests out of the garden. I have also set up most raised beds to be instant hoop greenhouses.--When my back was the worst I started doing hillside gardens and I even planted some of my crops in straw bales. Straw bale gardens are actually fun and have a unique look. The only thing with a straw bale garden is that it is best to use transplants. I have started the plants from seeds but my normal success rate is off so I cheat and go for the transplants!
Straw Bale Garden
To make a straw bale garden buy a few straw bales. How many you pick up will depend on how big you want your garden to be. A bale is usually about 2 foot by 3 or 4 foot in size.---Straw bales are better than hay bales, Hay has more weed seeds and why bring weeds into your yard?
Straw Bale Garden Design
Lay your straw bales out where you want your garden flat side down. You can lay them out in a line or get creative and make a design. I laid my garden out in a mini maze with enough room to get the mower between the bales. I also had a bench in the center so I had a fun place to sit.---The next step takes a few days. During this time you can be hardening off your transplants.---What you need to do is wet the straw bales down thoroughly several times a day for a couple of days. I also make a compost tea mix and let that soak in the top of the bales. This gives the bales a good deep soaking of water, which it will hold for a long time and the fertilizer soaks in and add nutrients to the bale that the plants will get.
Planting your Straw Bale Garden
Decide what plants you are going to plant so that you know how much space you want between plants. Next remove some of the straw where you want the plants. I usually take out 6 inches across and 8 inches deep. Fill the hole with good composting soil or a mix or garden soil and potting soil Water well and let sit for a few hours. Put more soil in if the soil level goes down.---I wait till its cloudy or close to 5 or 6p.m. in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so hot. Your transplants will appreciate being transplanted when the sun isn’t beating down on them.---Plant your transplants and water. After this garden is planted treat it like a normal garden. Water the plants when they need it and if it’s a very dry summer water the bales for a deep watering.---I have planted tomatoes, potatoes, squash, greens, peppers, gourds and flowers in the bales. I didn’t try tall plants like sunflowers. I also staked tomatoes and peppers just like I do in a regular garden.--When the season is over, harvest your crops. One thing I did do later in the fall was cover the sides of the bales with black plastic. This kept the bales warmer and my crops going a little longer.--After the season is done take the bales and add them to you compost pile. If you don’t have one this is the perfect time to start! You have great semi composted material to start one with.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
