Straw bales for habitat projects?

[j-bird]

Or you can stack them in random spots in an open field, tuck some tannerite into each stack, climb into your a tree stand with a rifle and see how quickly you can blast everything to bits.

I guess if I have limited uses being constructive.....there is always destructive means of entertainment!!!! Wonder what sort of a list I end up on...."Yes, I need 20 tannerite kits, 5 boxes of rifle ammo and a couple cases of beer.....I love this country!" You know you see a guy at the store with those things in his cart he is gonna have a good time! I got money the Sheriff gets called......AGAIN! This sounds like a party just waiting to happen!!!! I'm thinking if I can get the bales to dry some....maybe even adding some pyro to the show!!!! This has some real possibilities......

 

[buckdeer1]

I saw on craigs list they are selling hay bale gardens,planting vegtables in the hay bales

 

[Red Picqua]

I would make a deer blind out of them and plant some vines on the outside of it. I would think in a couple of years it would be pretty wild looking. take the inside and rub mud all over it and I think you would have a very nice blind.

 

[Redonthehead]

I remember ~35 years ago my wife's grandpa would put out three bales of wheat straw in a stack on each farm to use as coyote trap stations. They would come by checking for mice or just the smell of the straw - he always caught a few. Just a memory of a use for straw bales.

 

[Catscratch]

I remember ~35 years ago my wife's grandpa would put out three bales of wheat straw in a stack on each farm to use as coyote trap stations. They would come by checking for mice or just the smell of the straw - he always caught a few. Just a memory of a use for straw bales.

Bales are a great way to attract attention for a set! Used them many times for trapping.

 

[OakSeeds]

NO - no mulch for trees. I once used cypress mulch and voles got under it and ate off all the support roots of my tree and killed it. Now I use weed fabric and gravel.....no more vole issues!

JB ... I encourage you to use 4"-5" "bricks" of straw (if it's been wet, they'll peel off easily) as mulch on one of your pea-gravel mulch trees as an experiment. I'd bet money you will have no problems. Why do you suppose voles/mice will tunnel under wood mulch and not pea gravel? My guess is wood mulch gets wet and sticks together allowing the tunnel to be completed; however, the weight of pea gravel (and no sticking together) means the fabric/gravel collapses on the animal and doesn't allow tunnels/nests. Why place straw on top of pea gravel... several reasons including enhanced weed control, conserving moisture and keeping area out to drip line cooler in hot summer. the BIG reason is enhanced insulation which means the tree roots may keep growing well into late fall or winter (ground doesn't freeze). For trees, what's on top (structure including canaopy) is a funjction of what's down below (root structure); your tree will grow much bigger/faster over several years - perhaps fruiting sooner - with the extra straw mulch. You can do it! Gamble with one tree ... I'll bet you will be surprised and delighted. Good luck

 

[j-bird]

JB ... I encourage you to use 4"-5" "bricks" of straw (if it's been wet, they'll peel off easily) as mulch on one of your pea-gravel mulch trees as an experiment. I'd bet money you will have no problems. Why do you suppose voles/mice will tunnel under wood mulch and not pea gravel? My guess is wood mulch gets wet and sticks together allowing the tunnel to be completed; however, the weight of pea gravel (and no sticking together) means the fabric/gravel collapses on the animal and doesn't allow tunnels/nests. Why place straw on top of pea gravel... several reasons including enhanced weed control, conserving moisture and keeping area out to drip line cooler in hot summer. the BIG reason is enhanced insulation which means the tree roots may keep growing well into late fall or winter (ground doesn't freeze). For trees, what's on top (structure including canaopy) is a funjction of what's down below (root structure); your tree will grow much bigger/faster over several years - perhaps fruiting sooner - with the extra straw mulch. You can do it! Gamble with one tree ... I'll bet you will be surprised and delighted. Good luck

Well.....your suggestion was read on my part a day late. All the straw has been disposed of. Your comments though as to the use of it are of interest.

 

[Cap'n]

I would make a deer blind out of them and plant some vines on the outside of it. I would think in a couple of years it would be pretty wild looking. take the inside and rub mud all over it and I think you would have a very nice blind.

^^Thats what we did. We drove T posts on each side of the bales 4 bales high and then pulled the top together with twisted wires. It didn't have a roof and you have to frame your shooting window out of 2x12's but it stood for 3 years. We planted annual vines that they sell at Depot the first year but really didnt need them after that. I took 6mil black plastic and put it on top of the bales and ran it down the inside just to keep the weather from destroying it. That was a mice haven inside that plastic but it made a good blind.