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Post by knollwood on May 1, 2009 9:11:46 GMT -6
Does anyone have good tips on growing strawberries? We just put in some plants last year and they did really well.
Then in the fall the deer got to them, but they seem to be coming back this spring, along with a lot of weeds.
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Post by colonelbuckrobely on May 1, 2009 9:47:27 GMT -6
I don't know much about strawberries, other than Mrs. Robely has a weedy patch that yielded so heavily last year that we were giving them away around our neighborhood.
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Post by jesusfreak on May 25, 2009 18:22:17 GMT -6
When you purchase strawberries for a home garden, your choice will probably be dictated by what is available locally, but you can also be purchased from mail-order nurseries that specialize in strawberries and other small fruits. Strawberries are sold either actively growing or as dormant root systems called crowns. The berry descriptions can be mouth watering, but the best plan is to choose from varieties that are well adapted to our growing conditions. Some very tasty ones recommended for Minnesota by the Minnesota Extension Service include e Junebearers, Honeoye' and 'Sparkle,' everbearers like 'Ogallala' and 'Fort Laramie' and the day-neutral 'Tribute' and 'Tristar.' Look for healthy plants or root systems. If you are ordering by mail be sure to get plants that are virus free. If you get your plants from an older strawberry patch, transplant only vigorous, healthy, young plants to your new bed. Strawberry plants are set out in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. The bed should be prepared before planting. Strawberries need full sun and good drainage. A slightly sloping site will insure that the area is not a frost trap in early spring. Work compost into the bed. Research has shown that composted leaves as an additive keep down strawberry diseases. Don't choose to plant strawberries where you have grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplants. Their diseases can be transmitted to strawberries. Strawberries are easiest to maintain when they are planted in a raised bed, which you can create by raking the soil into a mound 6 to 8 inches high after you have worked the area deeply. Then level it for planting. Plant 3 strawberries plants about 4 inches apart. Leave about a foot between the next row of plants. If you have more plants than will fit the length of your wide row, leave 2 to 3 feet between the wide rows so you will have room to work. If you are planting bare root plants, soak them in water for about an hour before you plant to give them a jump-start. Look over the crown and remove any damaged roots. For each bare root crown, make a planting hole large enough to mound soil in the bottom and spread the roots over the mound like a skirt. The roots can be trimmed a little if they are too long for the depth of the hole. They shouldn't be bunched up. Pour water in the hole to settle the roots and refill it with the soil you removed making sure the crown buds are level with the surface. If you are planting potted strawberries, make the hole large enough to fit the root ball with the buds at ground level. Water potted strawberries after they are planted. An organic mulch of straw or chopped leaves 2 to 3 inches deep will help keep the soil cool, moist and weed-free. from: www.bachmans.com/tipsheets/edibles/BackyardStrawberryPatch.cfma couple more good links: justmygarden.com/2006/06/02/growing-strawberries/www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/fruitveg/strwbrry.htmgardening.about.com/od/fruitsberriesnuts/a/Strawberries_3.htmwww.verygoodsearch.com/blog/homefamily/gardening-homefamily/2009-05-17/how-to-grow-good-strawberry.php
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Post by knollwood on May 25, 2009 20:42:19 GMT -6
thanks for the info jesusfreak!
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hasset
Master Member
Posts: 633
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Post by hasset on May 30, 2009 7:00:28 GMT -6
My strawberry bed gets so weedy that I quit trying to weed it. Instead, I transplant the plants to a new section of the garden. It is easier to put them in a row so you can hoe around them. I also use straw around them. When they send out runners to make new plants, I put the new plants in small cottage cheese containers that have dirt in them. You have to keep them watered. After two weeks, I cut the runner off and take the new plant to put somewhere else. I am not big on weeding anything and my garden always yields a lot but looks terrible. I have even used the weeder to cut down weeds around the strawberries.
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