Large Square Bale Accumulator

By John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist With many creative ways to build practical buildings with straw bale, no two structures are the same. Depending on the type of plaster selected, roof overhang is often important to protect and shield the plaster from the...

Consider using a soaker hose for ease of irrigation.Straw bale garden maintenance will include regular fertilization as well. Growing plants in a straw bale garden requires that bales are conditioned before you begin planting.If you buy the bales in fall,...

I had room for three 12-by-24-foot pipe corrals for my horses, a wash rack, small tack shed and a tiny chicken coop — so much for goats and sheep . And I guess I do, compared to the postage stamps they call backyards.

On the "off" days, water the bale deeply but do not add fertilizer. A bale can hold two tomatoes, four pepper plants or lettuce plants. Nearly any plant will grow in a bale, but avoid tall plants such as corn because the plant can become top heavy and...

Soaking may require as much as 15 gallons of water per bale. Wheat straw makes good mulch.Remove the mulch in the spring once the plants start poking through. Gardening in bales allows you to transform rocky, uneven or clay soil — or even a paved parking...

Chickens are well known for being unforgiving to newcomers the try to join a flock. They have become chickzillas . Then there is Liberty, so named because at one point in her rapid development, she resembled a bald eagle.

Large black sows have good maternal instincts and are prolific mothers, averaging 10 to 13 piglets per litter—and are know for their longevity. History: Also known as the Cornwall, Devon or Lop-eared Black, the Large Black originated in Cornwall and...

Baling hay is a satisfying and worthwhile effort, but it's challenging. Depending on the number of helpers and the number of balers you run simultaneously, (probably just one if you're a hobby farmer), it could take hours to produce and stack a couple...

The 2 feet will allow the potatoes to grow and spread under the straw. Potatoes provide important protein, vitamins and minerals, and can be grown in any climate and at any altitude.

The shorter front allows you to reach into the square to shovel andweekly and the higher walls help keep in the heat to make the materials rot faster.Once the compost is complete, you'll notice that part of the walls have begun to incorporate themselves...

Most areas are acceptable, though tropical areas are great. If more people built with straw bales, how would it affect the environment? What are the best ways to get a permit to build a straw-bale building?

Some of these piles are still clearly visible, but this one—which ran parallel to a fence that no longer exists—is all but invisible today, buried under the soil created by decades of grass, leaves and similar materials.

The good news is that your hay bale garden still has significant value if you maintain any in-ground crops. Hay-bale gardening is an innovative raised-bed technique that allows you to grow a range of vegetables or ornamentals directly within a decomposing...

When you're ready to plant, there's no need to cart compost to the garden, and your soil will be primed for planting. Cut and remove bailing twine, mixing the semi-composted bales into the compost.

Densely packed bales are also more stable when stacked. Store hay where it's accessible. Hay is a generic term for grass or legume plants that have been cut, dried and stored for use as animal feed, particularly for grazing species, such as cattle , equines...

Dyckia maritima reaches 6 1/2 feet. Many bromeliads adapt to the growing conditions imposed upon them by their environments.Large bromeliad species, such as Aechmea conifera, can grow up to 10 feet tall and wide.

This article will in no way be able to cover all the larger Agave species there are, but it should provide at least an introduction to these large desert landscape plants. In a previous article I introduced the reader to the basics of Agave cultivation...

Elsewhere apricots need full sun to limit disease and produce high quality fruit. Healthy apricot trees will bear for ten to fifteen years or more. In humid climates, apricots often develop problems with fungal diseases such as brown rot.

A wide hole is better than a very deep one. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Moisture-retentive but well-drained. Notes Nectarines are self-fertile, but produce better when more than one tree is grown.

In humid climates, plums often develop problems with fungal diseases such as brown rot. Remove any fallen fruits as soon as possible. Control by allowing hens to feed around trees, or shake branches to dislodge the insects onto a sheet then plunge into...

Mung beans and other sprouts will generally keep for about a week in the refrigerator and may even continue to sprout in the refrigerator during this time. Fill the rest of the jar with water to soak and pre-germinate the seeds.

A lack of adequate drainage can increase the risk of root rot. Place the root ball into the soil as quickly as possible. Feed your plant a general houseplant food, following the instructions on the package label.

Notes Prune towards the end of the season to remove any dead or overcrowded branches. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Almost any soil Position Depends on variety. Frost tolerant Yes.

Healthy pear trees will bear for decades. This bacterial disease strikes suddenly in cool, damp weather, and causes branches to look like they have been burned by fire. Codling moths can destroy crops of young fruits; trichogramma wasps can be used to...

This article is an introduction to an extended botanical family well worth meeting and growing As you now are aware of, this botanical family hosts some very different plants and though some may already be familiar with the keen gardener we will undoubtedly...

Before the advent of our modern tranquilizers during the past 20 years, farm animal medicine was a bit of a circus. For some minor surgical procedures it can be combined with other sedatives.

Troubleshooting Watch for leaf-eating tomato hornworms, and pick them off. Set out after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and settled. Frost tolerant No. Feeding Weekly liquid feed or seaweed drench from mid summer onwards.