Strawberry protection

AlwaysHotinFL 5/20/2017, 4:37 pm

So, I know it's a little early to think about strawberries down here in our zone (while the rest of the forum waits for theirs to fruit), but I wanted to get a jump on the prep for the red-berried wonders.

Specifically, I've been looking over the forum about ways to hang/protect from ants and bugs mostly but birds too maybe. So, how do you muscle out the would be intruders vandalizing and committing grand theft in your strawberry plants. Keep em elevated? Special enclosure? Etc...

CapeCoddess 5/20/2017, 6:53 pm

My strawberry bed is in ground. I throw netting over the top of them once the berries start blushing up and anchor it with rocks. Other than that the slugs and roly polies eat one side of each berry and I get to eat the other side. tongue

**donnainzone5** 5/20/2017, 7:06 pm

CC,

A bit of Sluggo Plus would enable you to eat the entire berry!

Also, how do you keep that netting from tangling?

CapeCoddess 5/20/2017, 7:09 pm

The netting just lays on the top of the plants. It doesn't tangle in anything. Like row cover.

I'm too lazy to get down on my hands and knees, move away all the mulch and sprinkle SP around the plants and put the mulch back. And I refuse to just sprinkle it over the top because of the bees. So I share.

**donnainzone5** 5/20/2017, 7:14 pm

I hadn't heard that Sluggo Plus was harmful to bees. I'll have to check that out.

As for the netting (if it's bird netting), mine tangles as soon as I open the package and try to unfold it!

CapeCoddess 5/20/2017, 7:25 pm

It's the spinosad in the Sluggo Plus. Might be okay if it's dry, I don't know, but the dews and fogs are so heavy here that I wouldn't chance a random sprinkling.

I use this netting for everything.
Dewitt 14-Foot by 45-Foot Bird Barricade Deluxe Netting 1/4-Inch Mesh BB1445DLX

AlwaysHotinFL 5/21/2017, 6:50 am

Good idea for big pests, how bout the little ones?

AlwaysHotinFL 5/21/2017, 7:08 am

I'm thinking something like this could be elevated, and something's painted on the wood that holds it up to prevent ants/others from crawling up it. And yes, I captured the picture with my phone tongue

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A3HFNNE/ref=psd_mlt_nbc_B001WAL3XA_r

**llama momma** 5/21/2017, 3:15 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:My strawberry bed is in ground. I throw netting over the top of them once the berries start blushing up and anchor it with rocks. Other than that the slugs and roly polies eat one side of each berry and I get to eat the other side.

Here's what I do. I have plastic coated clothes line for the grid and I hang the group of immature berries over the grid so they don't touch the ground. It works for some reason the slugs and rolly pollies don't seem to want to climb up. On other plants I take the group of berries and twist it a bit up around the stems and leaves to hold them up off the ground.

countrynaturals 5/21/2017, 10:31 pm

llama momma wrote:
CapeCoddess wrote:My strawberry bed is in ground. I throw netting over the top of them once the berries start blushing up and anchor it with rocks. Other than that the slugs and roly polies eat one side of each berry and I get to eat the other side.

Here's what I do. I have plastic coated clothes line for the grid and I hang the group of immature berries over the grid so they don't touch the ground. It works for some reason the slugs and rolly pollies don't seem to want to climb up. On other plants I take the group of berries and twist it a bit up around the stems and leaves to hold them up off the ground.

Thanks for the great idea. I don't know how I'll implement it, but I'll find a way to keep the berries off the ground if the slugs find my new bed, which they probably will since I used organic mulch. Mad

yolos 5/22/2017, 6:06 pm

This is kind of a neat idea. I wouldn't pay that amount for the contraption but it could easily be made DIY with hardware cloth, chicken wire etc.

https://raisedbeds.com/strawberry-supports-set-of-6/?gdffi=1f58afabc07e4688aaa5b704d2903d8f&gdfms=310BB3F8A55148C6868FE204C3DE750E&gclid=CLmbwOTAhNQCFYY2gQodsZYKPw

countrynaturals 5/22/2017, 6:22 pm

yolos wrote:This is kind of a neat idea. I wouldn't pay that amount for the contraption but it could easily be made DIY with hardware cloth, chicken wire etc.

https://raisedbeds.com/strawberry-supports-set-of-6/?gdffi=1f58afabc07e4688aaa5b704d2903d8f&gdfms=310BB3F8A55148C6868FE204C3DE750E&gclid=CLmbwOTAhNQCFYY2gQodsZYKPw

I can make that with old fence pieces or chicken wire. Thanks, Yolos. So far, the little beasts haven't found my new strawberry bed, but I'll be watching like a hawk for any sign of trouble. Twisted Evil

AlwaysHotinFL 5/23/2017, 5:56 am

yolos wrote:This is kind of a neat idea. I wouldn't pay that amount for the contraption but it could easily be made DIY with hardware cloth, chicken wire etc.

https://raisedbeds.com/strawberry-supports-set-of-6/?gdffi=1f58afabc07e4688aaa5b704d2903d8f&gdfms=310BB3F8A55148C6868FE204C3DE750E&gclid=CLmbwOTAhNQCFYY2gQodsZYKPw

Those look really nice and definitely could be made on your own. However, I also feel like they say to birds "Heres your strawberries on a (not-silver) platter, enjoy!" Shocked

Catch 22

**camprn** 5/23/2017, 11:57 am

AlwaysHotinFL wrote:
yolos wrote:This is kind of a neat idea. I wouldn't pay that amount for the contraption but it could easily be made DIY with hardware cloth, chicken wire etc.

https://raisedbeds.com/strawberry-supports-set-of-6/?gdffi=1f58afabc07e4688aaa5b704d2903d8f&gdfms=310BB3F8A55148C6868FE204C3DE750E&gclid=CLmbwOTAhNQCFYY2gQodsZYKPw

Those look really nice and definitely could be made on your own. However, I also feel like they say to birds "Heres your strawberries on a (not-silver) platter, enjoy!"

Catch 22

Bird netting can be your friend.

**sanderson** 5/24/2017, 3:27 am

Hot in FL, I have a dozen of those stacking strawberry/herb containers. I'm now reconsidering using them after looking at the snap photo.

AlwaysHotinFL 5/25/2017, 9:15 pm

Go for it Sanderson! When is your season for strawberries? I saw you're zone 8-9 but California can be a lot different from FL. We plant in approx sep-oct and harvest during the winter into early spring.

countrynaturals 5/26/2017, 11:49 pm

I posted in the "Frugal" thread about some TV dinner containers I use for sprouting seeds and trays for small container plants. Today I put the strainer parts to use in the strawberry bed to keep the berries off the ground and hopefully away from the slugs. So far, so good. Wink

**sanderson** 5/28/2017, 3:15 am

AlwaysHotinFL wrote:Go for it Sanderson! When is your season for strawberries? I saw you're zone 8-9 but California can be a lot different from FL. We plant in approx sep-oct and harvest during the winter into early spring.

It seems there are strawberries all summer in the Valley. May depend on the varieties. ??

**donnainzone5** 5/28/2017, 1:24 pm

Everbearing vs. June bearing. I'm growing some of each this year, although I do like to get a continuous crop.

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