The Benefits of Community Gardening

newspaper or landscape fabric under the bales but I found that the grass grows back the following season. Be sure to allow yourself ample room to mow around or between the bales, and somewhere with access to the water hose.

2. Joel Karsten, author of "Straw Bale Gardening" touts a specific 10-day recipe for getting the bales cooked and ready for planting. I have found that any combination of general fertilizer and water has worked to cook the bales. I have had less success with organic fertilizers as they don’t provide as high of nitrogen inputs as non-organic fertilizers.

Karsten also discovered that it didn’t matter what recipe was adhered to, it all worked.

3. During the cooking process, the bales will form dark soil clumps known as peppering. Mushrooms will form and can be removed or left but not eaten. Mushroom growth is a good indication that the process is working. Using a digital thermometer to make sure the interior temperatures reaches 160 degrees will let you know the bale is cooked.

4. After the cooking process, I have been surprised by how malleable the top portion of the bales have been and had no problem planting. However, if there is still a lot of heat, do not plant in the bale until the top 4 to 6 inches cool down.

5. If planting seed, place a 2-inch layer of soil on straw bales. Put down paper towels. Lay down your seeds and cover with soil. I always plant my basil and greens in this manner.

6. If planting vegetable transplants, dig a hole, fill it with soil and plant.

7. Give your plants room to grow. Plant two tomatoes, four cucumbers, four peppers or two squash per bale and add supports as necessary.

8. Add flowers like sweet alyssum, scaevola, petunias to the sides of the bales for added beauty.

9. Watering may be more important in dry hot summers. I have found that the straw bales are good at holding water. 10. Vegetables that grow in the ground only need fertilizers at certain points in their development and that also depends on your garden soil. Most garden soils are rich in organic matter. However, when you are growing in a straw bale, you will need to add a complete fertilizer monthly. You want your fertilizer to work right away, so don't use the slow-release kind.

Just about every vegetable except sweet corn can be grown in bales, and the only reason sweet corn is discouraged is that it tends to flop over because of its height. If you have never gardened before start with plants that are easy to grow like herbs, greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and onions.

 Food production and access - Community gardens enable people without suitable land of their own to grow high-quality fruits and vegetables for themselves, their families and their communities, possibly in places that lack grocery stores or other fresh food outlets.  Nutrition - Some research indicates that community gardeners eat more fruits and vegetables (Bremer et al., 2003).  Exercise - Gardening requires physical activity and helps improve overall physical health.  Mental health - Interacting with plants and having access to nature help reduce stress and increase gardeners' sense of wellness and belonging. (Malakoff, 1995)  Community - Community gardens foster a sense of community identity, ownership and stewardship.

They provide a place for people of diverse backgrounds to interact and share cultural traditions.  Environment - Gardens help reduce the heat-island effect in cities, increase biodiversity, reduce rain runoff, recycle local organic materials and reduce fossil fuel use from food transport.  Education - All ages can acquire and share knowledge related to gardening, cooking, nutrition and health.

Some gardens have programs that provide training in horticulture, business management, leadership development and market gardening.