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<body>On Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:41:31 -0400, Reuben Deumling <9watts@gmail.com> wrot<br><br><div>> I'm considering surrounding a large garden with a wall </div><div><br></div><div>The plaster over the bales, in addition to the intended function of protecting the bales from weather, will also work like a bell jar to trap moisture (from any of the many possible sources) in the straw so that over time, the contents of the bell jar will likely become a fetid goo brew.<br></div><div><br></div><div>That's not necessarily a Bad Thing from the garden wall perspective because the plaster shell will still be intact (if the plaster was formulated, applied/cured/reinforced properly and protected from excessive wetting and freeze-/thaw cycles ) and look/function like a garden wall.</div><div><br></div><div>That is to say, think of the straw as being a temporary form or armature for the plaster shell and you'll be fine.</div><div><br></div><div>If you need the core of the garden wall to remain intact over time then I'd suggest that some other non-moisture-susceptible "waste" material like discarded automobile tires or PVC buckets filled with sand (for ballast) (ie materials which may not be easily recycled) would be a better choice.</div><div><br></div><div>Or better yet, plant trees or shrubs to create the enclosure.</div><br><div id="M2Signature"><div>-- </div><div>=== * ===<br>Rob Tom . . . T60BOM<br>Kanata, Ontario, Canada<br><br>A r c h i L o g i c at Y a h o o dot C A<br>(manually winnow the chaff from my edress if you hit "reply")</div></div></body></html>