Straw-Bale Gardening in the New York Times

Reader Contribution by Lloyd Kahn
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From the New York Times: “… Are you ready to learn about a transformative garden technology that could change your life — for less than $100? No? I wasn’t sold either when I first heard about a peculiar food-growing method called straw-bale gardening”

A straw-bale garden is a garden that has been grown in a straw bale. Really. It was Mr. Karsten’s clever notion to condition the bale with a little fertilizer and water, creating a kind of instant compost pile. “The crust of the bale decomposes slowly,” he said. This is the vessel. The inside, which decays faster, “is our potting mix.” Stick a soaker hose on top, then plug some tomato seedlings into a hole gouged out of the straw. Time to wash the taint of barnyard off your hands: you’ve got a vegetable garden.

Article byMichael TortortelloClick here to read “Grasping at Straw.”

Photo byTracy Walsh/Poser Design

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