Planting squash into straw bales

[ruth noble]

Last week’s GQT included a suggestion of planting squashes into straw bales, an idea that would suit me well this year. Anyone got any experience of this? Do you need to include compost/soil as well as the straw? Also, we have rats in the garden (thanks to a local derelict building) and I would be very concerned that I would be setting up a rat hotel, what do you think? Thank you in advance.

[charles]

Planting into bales has drawbacks – its messy, needs soil/compost for the planting hole, needs fertiliser/nitrogenous something for the straw. Which? Gardening readers mostly said they would not try it again.
However if it suits your plot and you have the raw materials, it can work. Rats could be an issue.

[ruth noble]

Thank you Charles, you confirmed my suspicions, I will probably give it a miss.

[Author]

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