Have you ever heard of growing your garden on bales of hay? Well, if you are interested, it is not very hard and has a lot of advantages over the traditional garden, especially if you do not want to do a lot of bending over, tilling and digging. Hay bale gardens are also great for growing a garden when you do not have much yard space. People have been known to grow straw gardens on their driveways or even on their rooftops!

To plant a hay bale or straw garden, soak your straw or hay bales in water every day for up to two weeks. Some people simply make a slit in the top of the hay with a spade and insert their plants into the slit, just as if it were dirt.

You can speed up the hay conditioning process by watering for three to four days, then adding a layer of hummus, peat moss, potting soil or compost to the top of the bales. Simply plant your seeds inside and add any plants that you may have started already.

How does it work? Well, hay contains many microorganisms. When they get enough water, they will start eating away at bacteria inside the hay. All of this action makes compost material inside the bale, creating a perfect environment for your plants to grow. Hay bales drain very well, so you never have to worry about too much rain or watering. Make sure that you maintain the moisture level inside the hay bale and you are all set.

You can reuse your hay bale garden next year. After two years of use, you may want to replace the bales. Two-year-old hay bale gardens make wonderful compost for the rest of your yard.

There are a lot of benefits to having a hay bale garden. One, the drainage makes root rot and other soil-borne illnesses a non-issue. Tomatoes especially grow well in these conditions. Because they cannot get too much water, they will have strong roots and the tomatoes will not become grainy, pale or deprived of nutrients.

One of the most enjoyed benefits of the straw garden is the lack of bending over, digging and tilling. Many people love gardening but simply cannot handle the physical labor of caring for the plants. With a hay bale garden, you can make it as high as you need it to avoid the need to bend over. If you stack bales to keep plants within reach, make sure that you stake them to avoid them tipping over.

Another benefit of hay bale gardening is that rabbits cannot climb up to the plants. Furthermore, dogs and other animals will not see your garden as a great place to dig and play.

Taking care of a hay bale garden is so simple that you will wonder why you ever did it any other way. Simply water and you are done. Keep your water hose on a garden hose reel to always have it handy. If you are physically challenged, consider an automatic hose reel for super easy watering. Enjoy your hay bale garden!