Plants – Final Update/Straw Bale Gardens

I have enjoyed reaping the benefits of my experiment in Straw Bale Gardening this year. Even though I made a mistake and placed the bales on pallets, the tomato plants adapted. As the hay decomposed and fell between the spaces, the tomato plant roots followed the trail of soil. In the photograph, you can see the plants grew to a terrific size. Their growth rate was so fast, I had to change my mind about letting them grow on the straw as vines, and used standard wire tomato cages instead. The fruit the plants produced was large and flavorful. They are beginning to decline now, but so are the tomatoes in the gardens of friends and family. If you have the space, consider giving this unique way of growing vegetables a try next year.