Synergistic Straw Bale Gardening

Well, I finally broadcast planted my 1st polyculture of the season yesterday.  In my kitchen garden beds, near the house, literally on top of straw bales that have been in the rain for 2 weeks I broadcasted a lot of varieties of seeds.

Let me back track a moment.  To fully explain what I mean by straw bale gardening please review this YouTube video.


 

However, for an Organic application, I used Happy Frog soil, and worm compost tea.  After grasses started popping up 2 weeks later I knew it was ready to start planting.  However, I found transplants to be utterly annoying to do.

So, I remembered this video from Emilia Hazelip & Synergistic Gardening.  I had moderate success with it last year, so this year I am trying the same, but on the straw bales.  If you are not familiar with E. Hazelip please watch this 30 minute video on a kitchen garden that has nearly 0 input other then vegetable transplants when you pick something else.  It is true to chop & drop as well.

Since I am doing this method to build soil over time in an area that is hard impacted, and rocky this method seems like the logical choice.  Which leads me to what I planted in bed one, well, it contains Parsnips, Radish, Dragon Carrot, Daikon, Turnip, Beets, Calendula, Nasturtium, Kale, Forellenschluss, Romaine Lettuce, White Bunching Onion, Giant Musselburgh Leeks, Chives, Borage, Italian Parsley, Garnet Oakleaf Lettuce, Lisbon Bunching Onion, Corn Salad, & a red heirloom cipollini onion.

The beuaty of this method is that I slowly get to pick items for salad as everything comes in, and then it gets sweet peas, spinach, mustard greens or beans as something gets picked.  Makes for a great way to get healthy food quickly and cheaply with a large variety.  Come  fall the Spinach, beans, peas, and mustard are already being picked if all goes well.