Comment

Comment by c.a.Beall on March 13, 2012 at 7:37am

Just put a top dressing of staw on some maple leaves I'll plant in a month.   BUT

 the nieghbor does not like the way it looks and complains to all about it!!

  Wait till I start havesting.LOL

Comment by Aunt B, SW MO Z6b on May 3, 2011 at 6:14pm

straw bales are approx. 3 ft long, 2ft tall, 2ft wide, but depends on baler, so 1 bale covers approx 6 sq ft., lenght x width.

Comment by Sandi Best on May 3, 2011 at 9:07am

Does anyone know how much area does a straw bale cover?

Comment by Sandi Best on April 23, 2011 at 10:59pm

I must need more mulch, went to weed, soil is like concrete!!

Comment by Paul Wieloch on July 27, 2010 at 10:03am

Thank you Sheri, I don't want to deal with a compost pile, your two bin system sounds really ingenuis though! My plot is just too small for that I think. My idea is to just tuck vegtable rinds, peels, coffe grounds and the like under the hay every night after dinner. I don't know how this will work as I have never tried it before. Also I would like information on prepping the bed for winter, Do I leave the plants standing up in they're place roots and all or do I pull them up and chop them up and spread them out. My plants are very lush and green but not very much blossoms, I think after years of putting cow manure my soil may be too rich with nitrogen, so I wo'nt add any more for next year. My plan is to harvest, lay down chopped leaves, top them off with the spent plants, and then top the whole thing off with spoiled hay. Next, I will try and figure out what and when I can plant in this winterized plot, I'm thinking mid fall, some garlic and beets.

Comment by Maris Listello z5-IL on July 26, 2010 at 9:02pm

Paul, personally I would not lay the kitchen scraps on top of the hay unless you want a yard full of critters. Better to keep the scraps under the hay.

Comment by Paul Wieloch on July 26, 2010 at 5:05pm

Hello, my name is Paul, I have implemented the Ruth Stout System in my vegetable garden which is 20' by 6'. I started this plot 5 yrs. ago, it was clay construction dirt with a lawn growing on top, for 5 years I added a lot of aged organic dairy manure and turned it in, however My results were pretty poor. Two months ago, mid June here in Colorado I obtained a lot of spoiled moldy hay and piled it on 10 inches thick. So far things are doing very well! My question is about the use of vegetable peelings, kitchen scraps. Do I lay them on top of the mulch or underneath it at the soil level? I have been putting it under the mulch. Also do I leave the old tomato plants and other plants die right where they are, roots and all, or do I pick them out and then lay them down before the winter? Thank You.

Comment by Randy Anderson zn.5/Il. USA on June 30, 2010 at 1:41pm

I should have said I don't have any overhangs. I live in a manufactured home and the overhang is only 6''. I have moved some and basicly just set the sedum I moved in a bed of composte. Maybe Ruth would have been proud of me. If this works then I'll be happy.

Comment by Randy Anderson zn.5/Il. USA on June 21, 2010 at 12:10pm

I'm getting frustated. Every week I'm losing more sedum. It's wet here with poor drainage in my soil and lots of composte my drought tolerent plants are suffering. I wish I could come up with a solution. Plants that can handle the diversity of the Illinois prairie are doing fine and of course weeds are too.

Comment by Randy Anderson zn.5/Il. USA on June 6, 2010 at 2:14pm

Very interesting Sheri. Sounds to easy' but the price of hay /straw will go up.

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