Strawberries

[skyhightree1]

This is my kids strawberry " patch " . I was wondering how many more plants should I put in that space and do yall think I should place mulch around the plants to keep the grass and weeds under control ? I never grew strawberries before so I want their strawberries to be successful they have already got some off to eat. I will be going out and getting more plants tomorrow. I have 2 grape vines planted at the end and will put some fencing for the vines to grow over top the strawberries.

 

[Limomike]

We have a strawberry bed, about 10x10' and I have a border of railroad timbers around it to keep the weeds out. Those plants will put out runners, and spread out, but I would plant a few more plants just in case a few of them die off. Mulching is good, I use straw for that. In the winter I put the straw over the top of the plants so they dont freeze out. Then in February, we fertilize them.

 

[skyhightree1]

We have a strawberry bed, about 10x10' and I have a border of railroad timbers around it to keep the weeds out. Those plants will put out runners, and spread out, but I would plant a few more plants just in case a few of them die off. Mulching is good, I use straw for that. In the winter I put the straw over the top of the plants so they dont freeze out. Then in February, we fertilize them.

Thank you I was going to put landscape timbers around them after mulching them. Does stray successfully keep the grass and weeds under control? Is mulch better? I will go buy maybe 10 more plants or so . Is there a certain fertilizer you use? I was going to use heavy plastic on top of the timbers so frost and snow cant get to them.

 

[Limomike]

We have a strawberry bed, about 10x10' and I have a border of railroad timbers around it to keep the weeds out. Those plants will put out runners, and spread out, but I would plant a few more plants just in case a few of them die off. Mulching is good, I use straw for that. In the winter I put the straw over the top of the plants so they dont freeze out. Then in February, we fertilize them.

Thank you I was going to put landscape timbers around them after mulching them. Does stray successfully keep the grass and weeds under control? Is mulch better? I will go buy maybe 10 more plants or so . Is there a certain fertilizer you use? I was going to use heavy plastic on top of the timbers so frost and snow cant get to them.

I think mulch is better than spray. But I do use spray around the edges to keep grass from growing in on them. I use 10-10-10 fertilizer, or sometimes just a little bit of dried cow manure around them. But it has to be done in February.

 

[skyhightree1]

We have a strawberry bed, about 10x10' and I have a border of railroad timbers around it to keep the weeds out. Those plants will put out runners, and spread out, but I would plant a few more plants just in case a few of them die off. Mulching is good, I use straw for that. In the winter I put the straw over the top of the plants so they dont freeze out. Then in February, we fertilize them.

Thank you I was going to put landscape timbers around them after mulching them. Does stray successfully keep the grass and weeds under control? Is mulch better? I will go buy maybe 10 more plants or so . Is there a certain fertilizer you use? I was going to use heavy plastic on top of the timbers so frost and snow cant get to them.

I think mulch is better than spray. But I do use spray around the edges to keep grass from growing in on them. I use 10-10-10 fertilizer, or sometimes just a little bit of dried cow manure around them. But it has to be done in February.

Thanks I will mulch this weekend after planting more plants. I greatly appreciate your help.

 

[greybeard]

When he says they will put out runners, he means they will spread like wildfire and each runner will send down roots. You can divide these later in the year--making 2-3-4X as many producing plants. I've had them send runners even out and over the cross ties and start growing out into the yard. Better also get some bird netting as soon as the blooms appear.

 

[skyhightree1]

When he says they will put out runners, he means they will spread like wildfire and each runner will send down roots. You can divide these later in the year--making 2-3-4X as many producing plants. I've had them send runners even out and over the cross ties and start growing out into the yard. Better also get some bird netting as soon as the blooms appear.

Oh OK I bought 8 more plants today lol hope it wasn't a mistake

 

[alisonb]

Oh OK I bought 8 more plants today lol hope it wasn't a mistake

It will be a mistake if you don't plant them in rows

 

[1982vett]

Oh OK I bought 8 more plants today lol hope it wasn't a mistake

It will be a mistake if you don't plant them in rows

Seems I remember Mom and Dad making sure the runners were picked off during the time they were flowering and making fruit and also later to keep them contained in their .....rows.....

 

[regolith]

Oh OK I bought 8 more plants today lol hope it wasn't a mistake

It will be a mistake if you don't plant them in rows

Seems I remember Mom and Dad making sure the runners were picked off during the time they were flowering and making fruit and also later to keep them contained in their .....rows.....

That's what is recommended, supposedly they make more fruit if they can't put all the energy into runners.
I've never been able to keep up with the runners. Was going to pull them off this year but they just went crazy, now harvesting them to extend the strawberry patch into two more raised plots.

I bought one plant that has pink flowers around twelve years ago. I have no idea if I still have the original plant or not... it's travelled to about seven farms since then, each time I move, and there's thirty or forty of them out there.
Bird netting is essential. I finally bit the bullet and put in a fruit cage when I moved here, next time I'll build a better one (five 8' posts wrapped with bird netting, the plot is about 12 foot each side, nowhere near big enough).

 

[skyhightree1]

rained before I could plant and still raining so I will plant them tomorrow I will put down some straw then some mulch.

 

[redcowsrule33]

The growers around here pick off the flowers the year they are planted to get stronger plants and more berries subsequent years.

 

[Jogeephus]

The growers around here pick off the flowers the year they are planted to get stronger plants and more berries subsequent years.

Yeah. We also plant them in the fall here and winter them so in the spring they will have strong plants ready to spread. Its a chore though.