After the fertilizing has been done, allow the bales a week or so to cool down before planting, but continue to water well. The idea is to speed the bales decomposition so that in effect, you are planting into well rotted compost.
Nowhere did I find any literature or instruction about cooling down, but I wasn't ready to plant yet as I hadn't bought my bedding plants. This may be why I had such a slow start, but I am simply relaying what I did.
(Now that I look back, I think I was supposed to plant immediately after the last day of fertilizing! Oh Well!!)
