• Home
  • Meet Mary Schier
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

October 16, 2012 · 5 Comments

Eek! Mice in the Straw-Bale Garden

How to

bale harvest

The bales produced great potatoes and flowers.

With fall coming on so quickly, I’ve finished with the straw-bale gardens for the year. I had good tomato harvests from the bales, and I can see where in certain circumstances bales would be the way to go with vegetables.

The vegetables grew well, were disease-free (one of the biggest benefits of the bales, in my opinion) and had good harvests.

I did have one of the typical problems with my bales, however — mice in my straw bale garden!

I had one bale in my main vegetable area that I used to grow potatoes. I harvested the spuds early, broke the bale up and used large chunks of the straw to mulch around some of my tomato plants that were sprawling a bit. A part of the bale (not more than 9-by-9-by-6 inches) was left where it had been. A few weeks later, while working in the garden, I saw three mice emerge from the bale. Eeek!!! I dispatched (what a nice, clinical description) two of the mice with a garden fork I happen to be holding and the third scampered off.

mice in my straw bale garden

The bales insides turn into compost after several months.

That event prompted some aggressive watering of the remaining bales. If you do straw-bale gardening, you must water the bales regularly to keep them growing and to avoid infestations by mice. I watered my bales every day or every other day, depending on rainfall and how hot it was.

With some trepidation, I approached the remaining four bales this weekend to dismantle them and spread the straw around other parts of my garden. Happily, the watering worked, and there were no signs of mice in the four bales that had grown tomatoes and zinnias.

Will I do straw bales next year? Maybe. They work, especially if you want to give your soil a break. I’m also considering using stock tanks with bales inside or with potting soil.

Related posts:

  1. Straw Bale Gardens Are Looking Good, Too I still get a mushroom or 30 in my straw-bale...
  2. New Straw Bale Garden Last week, I attended a presentation on straw bale gardening...
  3. Taking the Straw Bales’ Temperature I have been checking the internal temperature of my straw...
« Will Green Tomatoes Ripen on the Counter?
Softening Your Garden Edges »

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    October 16, 2012 at 9:37 am

    I had not heard about this particular method for straw bale gardening. It’s a fantastic idea! Did your bales heat up a lot when they started decomposing? I can see where that would be a great way to start tomatoes, for a normal Minnesota spring anyway. Part of my garden is in stock tanks, and I love how they look and function—no rabbit worries there! Anyway, thanks for the info.

  2. Mary Schier says

    October 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Jennifer — The bales did heat up, though not as fast or as high as I expected. It was pretty cold during the time when I was conditioning the bales, so I put a plastic sheet over them, which helped a lot to get them going. I’m looking for a good deal on stock tanks because I have lots of rabbits and I think they would look better than the bales alone. Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Jennifer says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:55 am

    I got really good deals on all 3 of my stock tanks, but it’s mostly due to my newly-retired Dad, who took it on as a project. One came from my Grandpa’s now-non-functional dairy farm, one came from a scrap metal place, and one from Craigslist. All three were located in the Milaca area. The Twin Cities-area Craigslist options were double or triple the price that I paid up there. Happy stock tank hunting!

  4. Connie Schifer says

    April 7, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    I got my bails all ready last year and had watered and watered and before I went to plant was gonna have hubby move them just a couple of feet over….MICE!!! was an apartment building…then old mom nature says hey lets not rain for almost 3 months so well was getting low….unless you got tons of water I would not do this

  5. Mary Schier says

    April 7, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    Connie — It depends a bit on where you live and where the bales are located, but you are right — it requires lots of water. If you aren’t able to water them for awhile, you will get mice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

Follow on Instagram

mynortherngarden_mary

Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida c What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida coincided with the Tropical Plant International Expo so I had to attend. Research! So many cool houseplants. And pots! And roses with scent. And new ideas about everything from pest control to house plants as decor and gifts. Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
.
.
.
#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

A few photos all reeled together that mostly weren’t on instagram. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a bloom-filled, homegrown 2023. 

Highlights include: Garden shots from Florida, England, my home garden, St. Cloud and Washington County, Minnesota, plus the Minnesota State Fair dahlia garden. Steve and I at Hadrian’s wall, then being escorted off the cruise ship after we got Covid (do NOT recommend!), harvest dinner at my brother’s farm in Wisconsin, my friend, Julie’s, indoor ripening set up for the Aleppo peppers she helped me trial, a bit of garden philosophy and @resawithoutherspoon’s amazing Christmas cookies. 
.
.
.
#gardenforlife #gardenyear #mynortherngarden #zone4gardening #happynewyear
Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

I have a post over on the @mnhort website with info about great holiday plant gifts that are NOT poinsettias. Link in bio and stories. 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Co My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Cool color. Interesting form. Not too hard to take care of. Put this on your houseplant must-have list! 
.
.
.
#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more. 

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while. 

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories. 
Pix: the hostess gift, my mom's amazing blue hydrangeas, one of the recommended tomato varieties (can you guess which one?) 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #coldclimategardening #mngardening #besttomatoesever #gardeninspo
Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago t Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago today that the Minnesota Historical Society Press published The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias. 

The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!). 

If you are looking for a gift for a northern gardener in your life, this might be an option. It's widely available and because it's been around awhile, it's frequently discounted. 

Photos include two of my favorite sections of the book -- one on martagon lilies (more gardeners should grow them) and one on buckthorn, which gardeners used to love (hence they photographed their families near the shrub) and is now a terror in the woods here. We're always learning.
.
.
.
#mnhspress #mybook #gardenreading #thenortherngardener #mngardening #mnhort
So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium h So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium has put on a lot of foliage and the reason must be the light in my new sunroom. It gets east, south and north light. Even in November when we are pretty dark in Minnesota, it’s doing fine. Great plant that I picked up for $1 at the @hennepin.extension.gardeners sale in October. #happyhouseplants #scentedgeranium #attarofroses #sunroom #houseplantsofinstagram #northerngarden
Is it too early to think about decorating for the Is it too early to think about decorating for the holidays? Nah! I checked out the ideas at @shopbachmans Holiday Inspiration nights this week. Looks like sparkles and an updated Mad Men vibe is trending this holiday season. Love it!  #holidayporchdecor #holidayideas #notanad #sparkle #bachmansideahouse #christmasdecor
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA, October 20 Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA,
October 2021.

I've been meaning to share this image for over a year. Enjoy! And, if you get a chance, visit the Bloedel Reserve, an expansive, calming garden in the Pacific Northwest. 

#gardentravel #japanesegarden #bloedelreserve #bainbridgeisland #gardenwriter #fallinthegarden
#nofilterneeded
I've been looking out my bedroom window recently o I've been looking out my bedroom window recently on this stunning dogwood. It's called Arctic Fire and is a more compact dogwood, though this one is more than 5 feet tall. What's not to love about those purple/red/yellow leaves and the creamy berries. The branches are a deep red and I will totally be harvesting some of them for a holiday container come November. 

Arctic Fire grows well in lots of sun conditions. This one is between two townhomes and faces east, so it gets decent light in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. It also tolerates a lot of different soil conditions, which is good because this baby is planted in clay, clay, clay. My understanding is it's only been in the ground a couple of years, but it's growing really well. 

This is a cultivar of Cornus stolonifera, which is native to a lot of North America, including Minnesota. A great choice for smaller gardens and landscapes, especially if you are looking for four season interest. I can't wait to see the flowers in spring. 

#fallshrubs #fallcolor #bestmnplants #arcticfiredogwood #fallcolor #winterinterest #mngardens #nofilterneeded
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Growing Lilies in Containers
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • What to Do with Not-Quite-Ripe Winter Squash? Recipes Included
  • Snow's Insulation Power in Winter
  • Prairie Garden Advice You Can Use
  • How to Winter Sow Wildflowers
  • Big Changes in Minnesota Hardiness Zone Map
  • Northern Plants Deer Don't Like

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316