UC Master Gardeners study 'no-dig' techniques

Even if you can't push a spade in the ground, you can grow your own vegetables using unusual techniques that are under investigation by UC Master Gardeners in Santa Clara County, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Master Gardeners Joe Gallegos and Abby Goddard are experimenting with plantings of chilies in straw bales and directly in bags of potting soil. Although straw bales show promise, they didn't produce a robust crop in the Santa Clara County test. The mostly stunted plants pale in comparison to chili plants that are growing in the ground, wrote the article's author, Laramie Treviño, who is also a Master Gardener.

The potting soil bag idea met with greater success. The Master Gardeners suggest gardeners lay the bag flat on the ground, slit it down the middle on top and poke holes in the sides for drainage, add seeds or transplants and water.

"Camouflaging the soil bags with straw mulch can improve the appearance of bag planting," Treviño wrote. "At the time of planting and every few weeks, some gardeners add a few tablespoons of fertilizer to growing plants."