Hay Bale Garden - Arts, Crafts and DIY

58 Comments

Fast growing leafy greens are great and when the season has finished I simply rake the whole lot up and throw it in the compost. You can also have a garden bed for each child…saves many arguments!

Material

1 Hay bale
1 Bag of potting mix
1 Bottle of liquid fertilizer (seasol)
6 seedlings of your choice

Method

Find a nice sunny spot for your hay Bale Garden, morning sun is ideal for vegetables , all day sunlight is not necessary however it must get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.
Condition your bale by watering it well, Hay or straw makes a great cheap raised garden bed as it holds water and decomposes gradually to further compost your plants.
Choose your seedlings depending on your climate and what you eat~! no point growing tomatoes if no one likes them! Fast growing plants do well such as rocket, packchoy, lettuce, celery and spinach. Strawberries do extremely well and the kids love them
Once you have selected your plants part the straw and pour in your potting mix as if you were creating a pot in the straw, pop in your seedlings and cover with more potting mix, finally tuck some straw around the bast of the plant, this will help keep the moisture in. When you have planted your plants water them in then feed with a liquid fertiliser as directed on the bottle.

Notes

I love watching kids watch the garden grow, it is a wealth of teachable moments from germination to pollination to the bee's inbetween! ...and you get tomatoes..or strawberries!

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This project was posted by:

- mle00
- 02 Mar 2014
  2:07 pm

58 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 21 Nov 2019
    11:18 am
Where I live, hay bales are highly sought after to feed animals. Not sure if I would be able to find any spare for this activity

- - kjgarner said
  - 29 Jun 2018
    12:18 pm
Love the creativity of each garden bed
- kjgarner replied
  
  30 Jun 2018 , 8:39 pm
  And it is recycling, using then composting
- - mom112217 said
  - 30 Oct 2016
    8:42 am
The garden look’s fab,a great idea!

- - jaymarie12 said
  - 29 Feb 2016
    11:04 pm
brilliant idea! i love it

- - mom94125 said
  - 07 Oct 2015
    1:25 am
this is a pretty cool idea. it must be full of nutrients

- - mom109229 said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    2:39 pm
I think I’ve seen this on Gardening Australia. I wish I had the space for this!

- - dannsbuild said
  - 21 Sep 2015
    7:04 pm
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing this!

- - Kell said
  - 21 Jun 2015
    8:57 pm
i love any ideas that minimize weeds

- - mom140125 said
  - 18 May 2015
    6:55 pm
What a wonderful project for my kids and I to embark on….thank you for the idea

- - mom62624 said
  - 11 Mar 2015
    6:02 am
It is a wonderful and rewarding experience for children to watch a garden grow; thanks!.

- - mom93821 said
  - 13 Dec 2014
    8:23 pm
Thanks for sharing this project; good idea.

- - mom94125 said
  - 01 Nov 2014
    12:03 am
this is a great idea

- - shortaez said
  - 30 Sep 2014
    9:37 pm
Great for a herb garden this year

- - maureen3 said
  - 23 Sep 2014
    7:43 pm
Thanks for sharing a good tip

- - kazh said
  - 20 Aug 2014
    9:36 pm
This is a fantastic way to get the kids into gardening.
- mom93821 replied
  
  11 May 2020 , 7:55 am
  Gardening projects are great for outdoor time and for nurturing a love of nature.
- - ginoula5 said
  - 10 Aug 2014
    8:00 pm
this is such a great idea, flowers/plants would flourish with this whilst keeping the moisture they need

- - caramello said
  - 31 Jul 2014
    11:43 pm
I love this idea. thanks for sharing

- - mom61907 said
  - 12 Jun 2014
    12:07 am
going to give that one a try

- - eestigirl said
  - 10 Jun 2014
    7:12 am
Oh wow! I can’t manage digging our clay to prepare for a garden bed, but have been wanting to start a veggie garden. I think this is the way to go! Thank you : )
- mom57522 replied
  
  13 Jan 2015 , 3:28 pm
  This is a great solution for you!
- - twinmum2 said
  - 29 May 2014
    9:52 am
Careful growing strawberries like this , they have a habit or spreading everywhere.