Get it right and you can grow bumper crops on straw bales.  It is clean, cheap and environmentally friendly.
The principle is that decaying straw generates heat to form a ‘hot bed’encouraging healthy roots.

Preparing a Straw Bale

• Watered bales are heavy so get them in the right place first.
• A polythene membrane will help retain moisture and prevent soil contamination.
• Water bales thoroughly. If it is very dry soak over 2 or 3 days.
• Apply 6 oz of dry blood or other nitrogen rich fertiliser over the top of the bale and water in
• The fermentation will start and the bale heat up. Cover with black plastic to speed up the process.
• After 4 days remove the polythene and the bale should be warmer than the air temperature
• Add another 6 oz of nitrogen based fertiliser.
• Cover for another 4 days then add 12 oz of general fertiliser. The temperature should  peaking at 50 degrees or so.
• Allow to cool to 38 degrees before planting.

Planting up a Straw Bale

• With a bucketful of compost make and fill a small hole in the bale. It should be easy to make a small hollow.
• Add you plants and water carefully.
• New roots will grow through the compost into the decomposing straw.
• Chillies, Peppers Tomatoes and cucumbers do well in bales. 2 or 3 plants per bale will give you a good crop.
• Tall plants need staking but tumbler tomatoes can be allowed to fall over the bales edge.

Advantages of Straw Bales

• Bales are easy to water and retain moisture longer than a grow bag.
• Drainage is good and ity is hard to over water.
• At the end of the season the bale can be recycled as a mulch or added to a compost heap
• Rotting bales give off carbon dioxide which can be beneficial to crops.
• Ornamental plants as well as vegetables will flourish.
• Bales are generally cheaper than grow bags.
• Straw is better than hay the tends to go mouldy.
• Liquid feeding is required as straw is low in nutrients.