There is probably a significant cooling effect from moisture evaporating from the straw. It would certainly insulate the ground as well. I can’t say I would attempt it unless I had free straw, or maybe corn stalks. I am not growing container tomatoes this year because the yield is poor, the quality is low in my climate, and they are not worth the labor I put into them. Why grow crappy tomatoes that cost as much as supermarket nectarines? If the fruit is not better or cheaper than the supermarket, what is the point?
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Put broken glass in gopher holes in home garden. Gophers are hemophiliac and once they cut themselves on glass, they will bleed to death and die. This was offered on gardening group I helped administer.
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Wow. I hope the people taking that advice didn’t have little kids playing in their garden. 
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From a garden centre about leaf curl on stone fruit. “Just pull the leaves off”
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This isn’t bad advice exactly, but I am always amazed at how many people don’t understand that plants are solar powered.
There is someone in my area that has built an elaborate raised and fully enclosed garden next to their house and beneath a giant tree. The area is full shade. I suspect it was a bare spot before they went to the effort of constructing a garden there.
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Maybe they plan to install solar panels on the roof and LED lighting for the plants? 
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In my earlier home, I had a young liquidamber tree planted about 4 feet away. It was already higher than the two story house. The “gardener” advised me to just top it off to restrict root growth.
Luckily, my real gardener took out this monster in the making including the roots all by hand!
I have actually thought about doing that… there is an area next to my house that is too shady for grass to grow once the trees leaf out. I have thought about putting up a couple solar panels on the nearby (full sun) roof and just running the power to a few grow lights. I figure it would make enough light to keep the grass growing there all year… but even for me that is a bit eccentric.
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But if it works, it’s not eccentric, it’s just resourceful and clever! Soon you’ll have everybody doing it.
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I had similar shaded area by a big maple tree in my back yard.I just called tree remover and problem solved
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I wonder if this is one of those intentionally bad advice initially spread as a joke but then being taken seriously kind of things because I also heard that but for discouraging rabbits.
That’s what I thought too… but this guy was very set with his beliefs, even with the concern for safety.
haha. I heard that one this week the 3 or 4 bumps on the bottom?
I had to explain to so many people when I was househunting that I specifically did not want a wooded lot for that reason (that plants are solar-powered). People assumed that since I was a “plant guy” that I wanted to live in the woods.
No, because woods means a few things I DON’T want:
- Deer. They are still a problem even though I’m only adjacent to forest.
- Bugs are worse.
- Shade.
- I don’t get to pick the plants.
In my area, most larger lots are wooded. Many are what I call “useless acreage” - steep, wooded slopes, which may be picturesque, but are not gardener-friendly.
Which made it more difficult to find my acre, but I did it.
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@ramv Which tumbler did you get? I think I may invest in one. I have one of those square ones which we have to reach down into, with a tool of some kind, and turn the stuff. Nasty. I’d much rather ‘tumble’ it! And . . . I don’t think I get even one batch that finishes enough to use - per summer! Since it doesn’t decompose quickly - it fills up and I have to stop adding to it.
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@PomGranny, I got this one:
Even today the pile was steaming hot, too hot in the center to touch. It is insulated and makes compost even during winter — albeit a bit slower. A new batch of cured compost is ready every 3 weeks or so. It kills all weed seeds (with the exception of volunteer tomatoes)
I’ve had it for 5 years and it has been a very worthwhile gardening purchase.
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Yeah, I bought a 2.5 acre clearing in the forest. I don’t regret it, but I’m envious of people with flatter ground and fewer deer. It beats the 6,500 suburban lot with hardpan though 
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I’m glad we don’t have hardpans here.
https://www.davewilson.com/community-and-resources/videos/testing-home-compost-units-intro
Here’s a composter study, albeit skewing to the informal, by some master gardeners. Several types of tumblers included it has some really good data, specific and general, mentioned throughout. Won’t win any presentation awards, but you’ll likely find some helpful information to guide your decision.
I’ve used a 30gal mantis tumbler. It’s served quite well and, for my climate, its plastic construction showed impressive longevity. I replaced it with a diy 55gal setup a couple years back and ,funny thing, still use the mantis. I turn the material within by hand as it no longer rotates and this season will be the first with finished compost from both. Quick turnaround is problematic on many levels. I start with an empty bin in early fall and continue adding until early spring. Let it cool for at least a month and then to its final resting place it goes. FYI, most times there will be bigger pieces along with the finished product whether quick composting or not. Just sift out those bits and add back into tumbler. They will be covered with compost, too, so no need for starters/makers.
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