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ericlitwiller

Climbing strawberries

ericlitwiller
15 years ago

I'm going to be square foot gardening for the first time next year, and was wondering if it was possible to train my existing strawberry patch to climb that nylon trellis netting. I figure the way that strawberry plants put out those runners, maybe it will work. Opinions? Anyone tried it and/or succeeded?

Comments (23)

  • medontdo
    15 years ago

    ohhhh man, that's an awesome idea! i was kinda wondering that myself(something like it LOL), and i kinda dont see why not, i mean they make them strawberry towers. which is what we're gonna be doing. so i don't see why not. although i'm not the person to give the answer!! LOL just the opinion!! LOL **big grinn** ~Medo

  • crystabel
    15 years ago

    I'd never thought of that. We're doing strawberries this year so I'll be watching this thread to see some answers/opinions :) .

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    I am a brand new gardener, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I have a strawberry plant, and I don't think it would work with a regular variety of strawberry. The runners send out new little plants to be rooted in soil. My strawberries actually are on the center of the plant. I guess I'm saying, the strawberry leaves don't vine, just the runners do and it would be pointless to trellis those, because they are looking for soil. Thus, I sort of think you'd end up with a bunch of dead runners tied to a trellis. Does that make sense? Maybe there is a climbing strawberry variety that I don't know of. They do alot of research on strawberries because they are so easy to manipulate genetically, so I suppose an internet search would be in order.

  • crystabel
    15 years ago

    I was thinking about that last night Carolyn. I never do see vines on the strawberries when we go picking, but I've never seen runners either so thought maybe those had been cut back by then. However, sounds like they are like sweet potato vines which do the same thing trying to root into soil to grow.

  • holly-2006
    15 years ago

    I agree with Carolyn.

    I usually just snip off the runners, put them into grow bags, and hang them on the fence.

    I'll probably transplant them into the garden when the existing plants there (2 year olds) finally give up the ghost.

  • veggiesrus
    15 years ago

    I am on the fence with strawberry vines, pardon the pun. However, we are considering using something along the lines of the verti-gro stacked strawberry growing method. We actually saw this at Disney World and thought this was too cool. We were hooked with the Hydroponics although we havent had much time to actually start the Hydroponics.

    Check out the link below. Granted its not what you were asking about but it might present an opportunity to grow a larger volume of strawberries in a small space. Personally, I am impressed with the idea but think its too pricey. I am a typical male who thinks me can builds it for less.

    My wife typically rolls her eyes and grabs my wallet and credit cards......

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stacked Strawberries

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    I have seen a system for strawberries that is like the one just mentioned, but it was made out of large PVC pipe that had circles drilled in the sides of it for planting the berries. They all shared the same soil in the middle of the pipe and were watered from the top. Sounds like a great way, much less expensive way, to have the vertically growing strawberries.

    For those that haven't seen these type of strawberry pots, the link below is for a commercially produced small pot like I was describing above that could be homemade and much bigger, too.

    ~Angela

    Here is a link that might be useful: Special Strawberry Pots

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    You know veggiesrus, I wouldn't ever buy something I could make cheaper and those tomato planters are $189.00 EACH. Holy freaking cow! No way I would pay that if I could set up a beautiful pyramid like the one on mel's site for less. I have to admit, the concept of growing that many strawberries in that little space TOTALLY appeals to me.
    Ooh, and Mel has a place for hydroponics on the sfg website, too. I just cajoled the hubby into letting me make earthboxes, so there will be no more garden spending for me for at least a month.

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    Now look what you've done! Found them a bit cheaper at growpots.com. Well, I guess I'll have something set up for next month, too... When do you start strawberries anyway?

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    Keep in mind, Carolyn, with growpots you have to order at least 3 of them and pay shipping/handling, too. It still adds up to fairly expensive. If you have a drill, just buy a bit that drills a hole the size you need and go for it with the PVC.

    I've tried to find the pic I ran across awhile back for about 2 hours now searching Google and can't find a picture... ugggh... but, trust me and save yourself a load of money.

    The only link I could find was for HGTV instructions without photos, and I've included that below. The one I saw was much bigger. I would call it more of a strawberry tower, than a strawberry pot. It had about 18 inches at the bottom of it that didn't have holes for strawberry plants because the bottom got too moist with top watering.

    I will be trying this myself come spring and I promise to report back here and let you guys hear all the details.

    Here is a link that might be useful: HGTV instructions for handmade strawberry pots

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    Ooooh, my! I just found the coolest idea for compact strawberry planters (see below)! You can buy them from the site or, as you can probably see, these type 'planters' wouldn't be hard AT ALL to make! I am sure that I will be doing this method as well! hee hee

    Here is a link that might be useful: Thompson Morgan Website

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    Okay, I'm fully obsessed with planting strawberries and the different kinds of planters to take advantage of limited space, so here goes one more time.

    I found about the easiest looking planter and the pic with all the berries in it is amazing. You just have to see this! Of course, I'm thinking how easy this would be to make at home, too, and how beautiful this would look on my front porch on each side of my front door. Oh... I just have to have these ones with loads of strawberries next year!

    ~Angela

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bloom Master Planters

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    ROFL, you and I are kindred spirits Angela! I was doing the same thing.

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    LOL! That is too cool! I've kind of noticed we think alike in many respects. I'm sure we'll end up being good SFG buddies. You know, I just LOVE these forums!

    ~Angela

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    Me too, lol. And, I sort of flit about looking at different ones. This is by far my favorite, though. I can't figure why anyone would want to do a different method, this one is just so easy. Aaah well, lol.

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    Yes, I think SFG is the best method that I've ever seen, too. I probably wouldn't be gardening if it were the old row style because I don't have the space for that and if it's too hard, you tend to quit. I just got my sister the SFG book and starter supplies for one small bed for her birthday. She is very excited, too.

    Okay, back to strawberries. LOL I finally found a pic of the PVC tower strawberry planter thing I was trying to show you guys before. The link is below...

    ~Angela

    Here is a link that might be useful: PVC Tower Strawberry Planter

  • wilnva_msn_com
    13 years ago

    NOOOOOOO!
    PLEASE DON'T USE PVC FOR FOOD GARDENING
    It leaches LEAD

    i use drinking water safe hose and a camper filter to get some of the chlorine out (chlorine kills beneficial germs in soil)
    God/Ess only knows how bad it must be to grow things in PVC
    sorry folks PVC is bad stuff

    Here is a link that might be useful: lead free garden hose

  • wildraw
    13 years ago

    P.S. I LOVE THIS STUFF!
    It's called Rich Earth.
    It's mined from prehistoric forests.
    I'm posting a link for everyone to check it out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Rich Earth

  • wildraw
    13 years ago

    here's another link on PVC toxicity,
    i would think one could better build something similar to the PVC concept out of wood, i might even try it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: lead.org.au

  • Joel Morris
    13 years ago

    I know that your postings on this subject are a couple of years old but I got an email from Gardeners Choice today advertising Climbing Strawberries. Don't know anything about them, so it might be risky but u can get 3 plants for 6.95 so I might give them a try. Hope you get this and hope it helps.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gardeners Choice Climbing Strawberries

  • susan2010
    13 years ago

    Apparently they don't technically "climb," but they have exceptionally long runners that can be trained/tied on a trellis.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Climbing Strawberries

  • yobs72a
    7 years ago

    I ordered climbing strawberry seed from e-bay and minutes it arrived at Australia it destroyed and I get warning. It makes me sad.

    last year my strawberry plants to try to climbing to tree and I though it's wrong so I chopped off.. silly me. I get so it will work if you training to climbing.

    I plant in 3years a go alpine, Japanies but I don't know which one is climbing.

    anyway so I try my own strawberry plant to climbing.

    I'll update if is work.

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