I did this in college, we grew them in petri dishes. We threw them out when they were still tiny tiny because the semester ended though. I collect ferns from the wild, its much easier that way! As for things to grow over the winter, try Hosta seeds! you can sew them once they are ripe and dry. good project for the winter months.

They're hardier than you may think. Try to plant against your house for added warmth and protection (especially in zone 6b). I don't grow them in the house because they have died there for me in the past but usually make it outside (based on my own experience mind you in zone 7). Also, they used to grow slowly for me as containerized plants until I discovered that they grow faster in bigger pots (remember they want to be TREES, not cute little herbs). If you doubt their winter hardiness, plant one in a container (for overwintering indoor) and another in the ground (they are inexpenisive enough). Good luck!

Teresa, I really think it would be a little hard to keep a robust tomato plant happy in an Earth Box in our climate. I just don't think they are quite large enough and the watering reservoir probably would have to be refilled almost daily. I also am not a fan of any system, in general, that wicks moisture upward into the soil (or soilless mix) because it generally keeps roots too wet--they like to dry out a little every now and then. Roots that stay continuously wet are more prone to disease and other problems. There is a gentleman named Raybo who posts often on the Tomato forum here at Garden Web who makes his own version of the Earth Box, and he is not the only one. Kathy already linked one set of instructions, and you could google and find many more. What is nice about using Raybo's threads as a source, though, is that he is actually growing tomatoes in his containers and he reports frequently on improvements to the system, how his tomatoes are growing, the varieties that do well for him in his Earthtainers, how much his tomato plants produce, photos of how-to-make-them plus photos of them in use, etc. So, I've linked just one of Raybo's threads below. If you want to read more, you can go to the Tomato forum and type the words Raybo Earthtainer into the search box at the bottom of the page, and it will bring up all the previous threads in which he discusses his Earthtainers. There's about 40 old threads there. As far as the old bales of straw: could you tell if the plants had been planted directly into the straw or if the straw had sort of been hollowed out and filled with a good-quality soilless mix? In some parts of the country that stay significantly cooler than ours in the summer, growing in hay bales can work pretty well. I would think it would be hard, though, to keep them moist enough here. I suspect that anyone growing in hay bales is either letting the roots creep down into the soil beneath the bales, is adding potting mix and a granular fertilizer to the bale, or is feeding weekly with a water-soluable plant fertilizer. Hay bales alone, especially if they are fresh and haven't started to decompose yet, most likely could not give the plants the nutrition they need. And, if bermuda grass plagues your gardening area, the hay bales can turn into a mess. If the hay bales have enough water/nutrition to grow tomato plants, then any nearby bermuda grass will creep into the bales and grow into them too. I know this from experience because I use a lot of hay bales in my garden, and any bale set on top of bermuda grass becomes infested with bermuda grass. Hay bales are a whole can of worms in and of themselves. In general, I only buy (or accept as a gift--more about that later) bales of hay from people I know or from a reputable supplier. Here's why: In the early 2000s compost made from hay/straw that had been sprayed by a particular broadleaf weed killer got into the compost distribution system, including compost made by cities from collected yard waste and then either sold/given to residents of those cities. That weed killer had a very long half-life in the compost and damaged/killed people's gardens. The garden plots were unusable for several years. Once it was determined just which broadleaf weedkiller was the problem, I was (and continue to be) very careful to ask people if they have sprayed their hay with that particular chemical and steer clear of their hay if they have. A very similar thing happened in Great Britain last year, leading to that broadleaf weedkiller being voluntarily removed from the market while the regulatory agencies studied the issue and tried to determine how to proceed. What about all the gardeners whose gardens were ruined though? Also, if you use "old" straw or hay that has begun to decompose, that can present issues in terms of fungal disease. I use a lot of old straw and hay, but I am careful to watch for developing disease issues and move aggressively to combat them the moment they first appear. Living in a rural area, I have lots of friends, neighbors and acquaintances who often have old, leftover hay that's no longer fit to feed their cattle or horses. Sometimes they give it to me. I've been given as much as 30 to 40 squares bales at one time and one guy gave me 4 huge round bales my second summer here. I am always careful about using these, but they do make great mulch and, as they decompose, they feed the soil. Once again, though, I make sure they haven't been sprayed with a broadleaf weedkiller OR I make sure they are at least 3 years old, because in 3 years time, the broadleaf weedkiller residue should have dissipated. Hay can contain seeds of weeds (broadleaf and grassy) so I always put a layer of newspaper or cardboard between the soil and the hay/straw to help prevent the seeds from sprouting. (And, sometimes they sprout anyway and give me weeds I didn't need.) If you put down a layer of hay/straw, you can lessen the number of seeds that sprout by scattering an organic pre-emergent agent on top of the hay/straw. Ruth Stout used bales of straw laid on top of the ground both as mulch and to enrich her soil for decades. She was a very successful gardener and she had beautiful soil, but she laid the mulch on thick--at least 12" I think, and then pulled back the mulch and planted into the soil or the lower levels of straw that had partially decomposed. The very depth of her mulch kept a lot of weeds from sprouting, and if they sprouted, she piled more mulch on top of them to smother them. That would work with some of the weeds we have here, but it wouldn't work with bermuda grass. I hope this info helps. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Info on Raybo's Earthtainers

Black Rasp are entirely different than red or gold and generally need much more care. I am in PA and they do grow wild, but those conditions cannot be duplicated very well in a home garden. I grow my blacks in full sun, but they do need lots of water, 1 - 2 inches per week. I have soaker hoses and use them if we are not getting enough rain. They also like well drained soil. In addition to water, the other keys are prunning and trellising. Ours bear the last two weeks of June. After bearing, cut out all woody stems that gave fruit. They will no longer produce. If you are going to fertilize, now is the time. As new plants grow, train them to some sort of trellis. I use aluminum wash line between metal fence stakes. Allow them to grow to about 4 feet and prune. Side branches will come out. These will also produce berries. they can be pruned as well. Keep the soil weeded and mulched with a neutral or slightly acidic mulch. Black rasp grow on a two year cycle. So, within two seasons you should have an abundance of berries. I have about 30 foot row and have gotten 20 quarts. Red and gold are considered everbearing. Here in Pa we get and early harvest, albeit light in July. Then from late August until a freeze, we get berries. Again, they like water. Pruning is less demanding here. Just cut out dead stems and cut off the heads that have produced berries. These things will spread like weeds. Enjoy.