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wbonesteel

Strawberries!

wbonesteel
10 years ago

The first year, from crowns. We've harvested half a dozen, so far, with at least another dozen that'll be ready in a few days. Dozens more are growing and maturing on the plants.

We have them planted in three of our five tree beds. Gonna put more strawberries in the other tree beds next spring. Might even have a few runners to transplant by then. Later, we plan to use them as border plants around all of the beds on the property.

Pic.

Comments (12)

  • mulberryknob
    10 years ago

    Congrats!! Dh and I each ate two from our bed this year. First year for this bed. Planted 25 plants a year ago and watered enough to give away almost 50 runner plants this year.

  • wbonesteel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    What happened to my pic? I guess I'll try that, again.

  • CatLady100
    10 years ago

    Woohoo! I planted 6 plants I bought from Home Depot last year, now I have dozens, possibly hundreds, of little greenies growing. I'm so excited for the coming weeks. I love strawberries!

  • OkieDokieArtichokie
    10 years ago

    We have 13 plants and just picked our 1st ever home grown strawberry yesterday. It was exciting. Tasted so flavorful it didn't even need sugar. Only had 1 that was ripe, the rest are still barely starting to grow.

  • wbonesteel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    imo, compared to fresh strawberries, the berries from the stores are alll but tasteless, in comparison.

    This pic can be called 'Anticipation.'

  • momofsteelex3
    10 years ago

    Can I ask you about strawberries? My daughter wanted to grow them this year, and I am clueless.

  • mulberryknob
    10 years ago

    Mom of Steel. It is a bit late to plant the crowns this year, but if you can find some started plants, it might be worth a try.

    Strawberries are usually planted in March or April in the dormant state. I order mine from Starks Brothers Nursery. The first year you pinch off all the blooms, so that all the strength of the plant goes to making roots and runners. (That's the advice, but when I had kids at home, I always left 5 of the 25 plants to bloom for them the first year.)

    You have to keep the plants well watered during their first summer. After they are well established each plant will put out runners from the base of the plant. A new plant will develop at the end of each shoot. It helps to position these plants where you want them otherwise they will get too crowded. By the end of the summer you may even need to pinch off small plants from the end of some runners or the row will get too wide.
    You will plant 25 plants a foot apart in a single row one spring and harvest berries from a couple hundred plants in a 3 or 4 ft wide row the next spring. Deer love to eat the plants and flowers. Blood meal, human hair, bird netting all help here if that may be a problem.

  • wbonesteel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Mulberryknob's advice is very good, imo. Personally, I just make sure that the bed has plenty of compost, and mulch, including composted manure and peat moss, plant my plants and let 'em grow. I only prune or pinch certain plants in my garden, and many of them, only at certain times of the year.

  • momofsteelex3
    10 years ago

    Thanks Mulberry- I planted a plant back at the end of March/early April? I bought it as one plant but split it into twos. And its in a raised bed I built so its all fresh compost/gardening soil. But I have really no clue what to do with it! HAHA! Its supposed to be my 7 year old's project. We keep getting small red berry after small red berry. But before we could even think of picking them to let her sample, some form of insect gets them. I have thought about moving them to a hanging basket. Good idea, bad idea? I guess ideally I would love to have fresh strawberries, but if they don't work, I am not going to cry about it, kwim?

  • brad6622
    10 years ago

    Same story here to momofsteel wish I could figure it out also

  • wbonesteel
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Are you sure that the birds aren't getting to them? The berries can *look* like bugs are doing it...

    I need to buy some bird netting, myself. I was hoping to avoid that, but...

  • oldbusy1
    10 years ago

    I've had problems in the past with snails and pill bugs eating on them also. The main thing is plenty of air circulation.

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