,You can use it the 2nd year for stuff like potatoes or ground cover, but it won't stand upright and be solid because most of the inside has decomposed. The book I got is called Straw Bale Gardens Complete. You can buy it on Amazon. It shows everything you need. I was intrigued to find out that while growing tomatoes, peppers from the top of the bale. You can add herbs, spices and such to the sides of the bale.