The pros and cons of straw bale farming

Most people that love straw bale farming have many reasons to advocate for this type of farming that allows them to grow plants and flowers in the sunniest parts of their home. However, everything good has its disadvantages too. Here is a look at both sides of the coin when considering straw bale farming. It is important to fully understand what you want to get yourself into before making any decisions.

The advantages

Easy on your back.

This is probably one of the main reasons why most passionate gardeners will not think twice about setting straw bale gardens. This form of gardening is the easiest and least physically involving. All you need to do is get your bales in place and no more bending s required even when picking the vegetables.

You can garden anywhere you are.

The only requirement of straw gardening is to get the bale anywhere sunny. While you may not want to place them on wood to prevent rotting, anywhere else is pretty much okay regardless of the soil composition. Just make sure it is somewhere with excellent sunlight exposure.

Economical gardening.

Buying a bale of straw or hay may not be as expensive as what you may have to spend on land preparation. This means that you can have an economical and budget friendly farming unlike most people think. Gardening does not have to be expensive in the first place. This is one of the best ways to keep your spending in check.

High success rates.

There is nothing more uplifting than working on a project that works. The fact that you have to stay on top of watering especially when starting out because of poor water retention does not make it any less effective. In addition, the hay or straws turn into compost with time this supplying your plants with more nutrients. You can also fill this compost in your potted plants when you clear the plant out. Furthermore, you do not require any special skills to become a pro in this type of gardening.

Better control of the elements

You are the master of your straw garden. You have absolute control over what goes into the garden and to what extent it goes. Moreover, since it is a small garden, you could even control the solar insolation and humidity by draping a greenhouse cover over it. With a next to absolute control over the garden and its micro-environment, you stand a better chance at planting exactly what you want.

Needless to say, the additional crops around your house will purify the air and could even help you control your temperatures and humidity passively. If you choose the right crops, you won't have to spend a fortune on your HVAC bills as the plants will help you take care of this

Disadvantages

Weeds.

Even with the claim of no weeds, there is always the disadvantage of some stubborn one cropping up unless they were suffocated before planting. The only advantage is that these spouts are easy to pull out. While it is not true to say that hay and straw bales are weed free, the correct report would be that the elimination and control of these weeds is easier since all you have to do is pull them out. It is also possible to ignore the weeds without running the risk of them harming the plants, as they would behave when planted in soil.