435: Joel Karsten on The Six Bale Greenhouse

Starting the spring farming season as much as 6 weeks early.


Joel, a farm boy who grew up tending a soil garden, shook up the gardening world with his first book describing his breakthrough Straw Bale Gardening concept. The New York Times called Straw Bale Gardening “a revolutionary gardening method” and his ideas have been enthusiastically embraced globally, making his books best-sellers in many languages. Joel earned a BS in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota and spends his summers tending his vegetable garden, doing research, and experimenting with new ideas and methods he can pass along.

Don’t miss an episode! Click here to sign up for podcast updates

Joel has inspired tens of thousands of first-time gardeners and a legion of “seasoned” growers who have found a new and better way to pursue their passion. His methods have enabled “retired” gardeners to begin gardening again since it eliminates some physical challenges found in traditional soil gardening.

In This Podcast:

Joel Karsten revolutionized the gardening world when he introduced the world to Straw Bale Gardening. Now, this best-selling author is back to blow our minds with the 6 Bale Greenhouse. Joel describes for our listeners how we can make a greenhouse for under $100 that can fit 360 vegetable starts. Using this temporary greenhouse allows us to start our garden 6 weeks early and turns into a trellis system for our plants. Listen in for a chance to win his new book!

Listen in and learn about:

    • How to start a Straw Bale Garden within a month 
    • The science behind gardening in a straw bale 
    • Mistakes that beginners often make and how to avoid them 
    • How to tell when the bale is ready for planting 
    • Joel’s special offer for podcast listeners  
    •  How Joel came up with using straw bales as gardening containers and planting medium 
    • How to construct a 6 Bale Greenhouse that can fit 360 vegetable starts for under $100 
    • Using this temporary greenhouse to start your garden 6 weeks early.  
    • How to heat your house using compost 
    • The Up-Stream Healthcare concept 
    • Mushroom growing in straw bales 
    • Using Organic vs Non-Organic Straw Bales 
    • How nature can fix some of our gardening mistakes 

As well as: 

His advice – Teach someone else to garden and pass that knowledge along. 

Books written by Joel: 

“Straw Bale Solutions: Creative Tips for Growing Vegetables in Bales at Home, in Community Gardens, and around the World”

“Straw Bale Gardens Complete, Updated Edition: Breakthrough Method for Growing Vegetables Anywhere, Earlier and with No Weeding”

“Straw Bale Gardens” Complete

“STRAW BALE GARDENS” Collection of four books by Karsten, from his earliest to most recent, save on the entire collection.

Urban Farm Blog article by Joel

The Six Week Greenhouse – Build a six-week greenhouse for less than $100, and heat it for FREE!

How to reach Joel: 

Website: strawbalegardens.com 

Special Offer:

This contest is closed. We say “Thank You” to Joel and Quarto publishing for this offer.

UrbanFarm.org/strawbale


Thank you to LaCrosse Boots for sponsoring this episode

LaCrosse Boots – The go-to boots for big tasks!


Note: You can also find these books mentioned above at one of our favorite local independent bookstores and have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a small business.


*Disclosure:
Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Post comment