Hmmm. This is an old thread and I was pleased to see that VgKg was still around.....until I noticed the date. Where is VgKg? I remember that he always had good advise mixed with gentle humor. Anyway, I am of another opinion on this tool. I found it worked fine on bare soil, but I am a mulcher and as such there is just no replacing a triangular hoe to cut through the mulch and cut the weed. Kay.

Wow, I'm new to Garden Web and excited to find a thread so exactly on topic for me, I was looking for help in figuring out how deep raised beds will have to be for rhubarb and aspargus as well as other insights to growing them by this method. It seems like an old thread though so I'll see if anyone answers. Also seems to be a bit of attitude going on here, the first I've seen in the garden web-hopefully the last. Anyway I am finally buying a house and swore that I would plant these two crops, rhubarb and aspargues, as soon as I was a home owner, because they take so long to establish. The home I am buying has a concrete RV pad in the side yard with full sun. So my first contact with the garden web was results on a query to whether I could build raise beds right on the pad. The answer was yes and there were great pictures of other folks beds made of used concrete blocks-satisfying all my criteria including going with surplus materials. So I am very happy to have found you all and this terrific resource. I need to figure out how to get in a more current thread though. I'm looking forward to dishing dirt (garden soil) with y'all. Hoping someone can help me out with the question of how deep the beds need to be. Thanks-Hatzi

I copied this from an article in a small rural newspaper while travelling. Not all new gardeners can count on cultivated soil for their plants. Some may be burdened by limited space or rocky ground. As a result, whether a new gardener or a veggie veteran, bale gardening may be the way to go. Growing vegetables in bales really works because bales provide the two things seeds need to grow. "For seeds to germinate, all you need is heat and moisture," said John Sims of the Farmer's Cooperative. In 2005, The Post published an article on bale gardening, and it has been one of the most frequently read articles at The Post Online. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, green beans, melons and a host of other plants grow well in bales. The Farmer's Cooperative, Southern States, and Danny's Builder Supply in Centre all carry wheat straw bales. To plant a hay bale garden, first, around 10 days before planting seeds, place the bales in a sunny location. Soak them with water for three days. On the fourth day, apply 5 oz. of fertilizer, followed by a couple more days of watering. On the seventh day, apply 2.5 oz more fertilizer, followed by a couple more days of watering. On the 10th day, apply a cup fertilizer and lightly water into the hay bale. On the 11th day, plant seeds by applying a three-inch layer of top soil or potting mix to serve as a bed. Each bale can hold two tomato plants, four pepper plants, six to eight cucumbers, three yellow squash or 12-15 bean seeds. Bales can typically be used for two or three seasons.

Every year I buy the luscious local strawberries from one of the many plots in the area...I don't have enough good sunny garden room to plant enough for my use. I make jam, and eat a ton of them fresh in all sorts of ways. But I also fill my dehydrator several times with sliced berries for the hot cereals we eat so much of during the winter. We like a variety of dried fruits as well as the traditional raisins. They are also very nice just to snack on during the Winter, when fruit worth eating is hard to come by. If you have a dehydrator (or a friend who has one you could borrow for the experiment) that would be one thing to do. I do freeze a number of them as well, for use in fruit sauces and smoothies. I don't add anything, just hull them and freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet before putting them into zip lock bags. That way, I can take out only the amount I need. I also eat them with ice cream or make home made ice cream with them. I only thaw them enough to quickly cut & eat or put into the cream though. If they thaw all the way they get slimy and the flavor changes.