DISQUS

BugBabe · 1 year ago

I'd like to know how much water the straw bale technique uses. In our arid climate we have to accept that the stuff those in humid/water rich places enjoy are simply not appropriate for our conditions. We have to line those Spanish moss baskets to get them to hold water - how about the straw? So....what's the water use compare to soil?

susan · 1 year ago

That's exactly my question, Bugbabe. I wonder, too, if there isn't a way to mitigate the water loss. It's been such a wet spring so far, this year may not be a good test case until we get some hot dry weeks. I also wonder if the thickness of the straw doesn't compensate somewhat by being such a good temperature insulator -- sort of a wall-o-water effect? The R-factor on straw-bale buildings is huge, but that's straw coated with mud. Has anyone out there tried this in our climate?

BugBabe · 1 year ago

I HAVE heard of a guy growing blueberry bushes this way here along the front range. Well, actually, he is using peat bales instead of straw so he can keep the soil somewhat acidic. But the trick to keeping those bales holding water is that he also drops them partway into the soil, or berms it up around the bale to buffer heat and wind. Wind wicks away sooooo much water here.

S.B.R. Loveland · 1 year ago

I'd be tempted to wrap the bale in a garbage bag or something like that. But that would increase the work, and most likely the temperature if it was a black trash bag.

I wonder if you could tuck some potato eyes under the bale and get a second crop from all that water?

Urban Gardener · 1 year ago

I have placed dirt up against the sides of the bales about 3 inches high to keep the water from running off of bales. I have also installed a drip irrigation system designed to feed each plant on the bales to mitigate the increased water demand. I have the not seen a spike in my water bill, but I have definitely seen a huge spike in the growth of my plants!