My auntie lives in 80s old tract development of poorly construct drywalled house in Jersey. Nobody's neighbors there grow vegetables except the garden I started there. The yard is small so I try to use my experience in introspective dance to be creative and, I started to compost some bales of straw, in the back yonder last summer. Well, after a week the neighbor heaved them away, complaining of smells but as I do not live there, I avoided any altercation but receive stink eye from them now. Sad for them too as I would of donated them some poundage of my non award winning pasted tomatoes and maybe their young child, could learn about the food supply from my garden adventures. I wish to try again but likely I wouldn't as I don't need more headaches but still, I don't believe what I did was wrong or, that the odor was that putrid. Do anyone here have some opinion to share on the matter? I would prefer that you agree but am almost mature enough like compost manure, to understand if you do not.

Thank you,

vicuna sock

I use hay bales to mulch my veggie garden....one year, I didn't use up one, so I left it to compost in the back of the garden....never smelled anything.....

RobinD said: I use hay bales to mulch my veggie garden....one year, I didn't use up one, so I left it to compost in the back of the garden....never smelled anything.....

I am speaking of composting bales with nitrogen to grow direct on, which only takes 3 week or so. The centers get hot and drop and you put the plant in there and get a good grow.

I don't know anything about using straw bales as a growing medium but I do compost all my goat hay and there is never any smell. My concern would be did they enter the property without permission...it's not up to them to dispose of something that is on someone else property. If they had a problem with something they should have contacted you or your aunt or even the authorities first.

luvsgrtdanes said: I don't know anything about using straw bales as a growing medium but I do compost all my goat hay and there is never any smell. My concern would be did they enter the property without permission...it's not up to them to dispose of something that is on someone else property. If they had a problem with something they should have contacted you or your aunt or even the authorities first.

I agree, they are the ones that should be arrested. Tis shame you never grew on straw bales, the yield of tomato is insanity.

Never heard of growing in a hay bale.....I think it would be expensive......

Maybe you could start a thread about that on the tomato forum. I know Id like to hear about it. My BIL grew melons in hay bales, altho I thought it was straw so it didnt make seeds, not sure.

Trespassing is a crime.. and it should not have smelled.. even then the courtesy of saying something first.. one would think to do.. I would not tolerate that at all