Today we planted strawberries.

**WardinWake** Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:17 pm

Howdy Folks:

With the help of our son, Mary and I mixed enough Mel's Mix to fill two 4X4X6 SFGs and one 4X8X8 SFG.
Planted 104 strawberry plants at a rate of 1 per square from runners re-rooted and placed in cups last fall. We have 2 2X8X8 existing beds planted 4 per square with some square with other counts. This makes a total of 184 strawberry plants in the ground and maybe another 50 or so still in cups. All strawberry plants are at table top height keeping Mr. Rabbit from making a midnight run on the plants and keeping the harvester (Mary) from having to bend over to pick the crop. Eventually we hope to be able to have a sign out front that says "Mary's Upstanding U-pick Strawberries".

God Bless, Ward and Mary. bounce

middlemamma Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:21 pm

If I ever visit I will make sure it is during U Pick season. Very Happy

That is fantastic Ward! YAY!

Jennie
Admin

Blackrose Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:22 pm

WardinWake wrote:Eventually we hope to be able to have a sign out front that says "Mary's Upstanding U-pick Strawberries".

That's awesome Ward! I too am going to plant my strawberries in a tabletop SFG. One of my 4x3s. Is there a reason why you planted 1 per square? I thought it was 4 per square. Or does it depend on the variety?

Patty from Yorktown Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:23 pm

Glad to hear the strawberry patch is doing so well. How did your strawberry tower do from last year? I am moving my strawberry plants into pots/ 5 gallon buckets and generally off the ground. This is their last year. If they do not produce much, then they will have to fend for themselves. I am planting raspberries and blueberries this year, plus a strange mini kiwi. I expect it will be a year before I get much of anything. Talk to you soon.

Patty from Yorktown

**WardinWake** Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:29 am

Blackrose wrote:
WardinWake wrote:Eventually we hope to be able to have a sign out front that says "Mary's Upstanding U-pick Strawberries".

That's awesome Ward! I too am going to plant my strawberries in a tabletop SFG. One of my 4x3s. Is there a reason why you planted 1 per square? I thought it was 4 per square. Or does it depend on the variety?

The planting of strawberries varies with the intended end purpose. If you clip off the runners to maximize the harvest and give the mother plant the most nourishment then it is 4 per square. If you want to expand your planting for the next year you can either purchase more plants or allow the runners to set new "babies" in the SFG and then relocate the babies in the fall. Another method of expanding that we have found successful is to place the new babies in partly buried posts and allow them to take root in the pot. After the babies are self-supporting on their own root system you can clip the runner from the mother plant. You then have a fully rooted plant to move where you like.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.

**WardinWake** Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:38 am

Patty from Yorktown wrote:Glad to hear the strawberry patch is doing so well. How did your strawberry tower do from last year? I am moving my strawberry plants into pots/ 5 gallon buckets and generally off the ground. This is their last year. If they do not produce much, then they will have to fend for themselves. I am planting raspberries and blueberries this year, plus a strange mini kiwi. I expect it will be a year before I get much of anything. Talk to you soon.

Patty from Yorktown

Patty:

The strawberry tower was planted with a variety that is known for producing well in the second year and poorly in their first so we really don't know if it will be a success or not until later this year. I have been toying around with the idea of tearing the tower down and putting the plants in a regular SFG as the tower itself is just plane Ugly.
(I built it!).

Placing your plants in 5 gallon buckets should do fine. Some varieties of strawberries only produce well in their second year and start to play out in their 4th or 5th year.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.

Patty from Yorktown Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:04 am

Hi,
I thought your tower was neat. I made my buckets with holes in the side. I also painted them bright blue. I have 3 five gallon buckets. They used to be in a tower stacked on top of each other, topsy turvy style. That proved to be too difficult to water. I took apart the tower and ran a holey pipe down the middle and planted the top. It seems to have helped. I never got around to planting flowers in some of the holes last year. Perhaps this will be the year. The former square of in "ground" strawberries and a huge rosemary plant will be vining veggies this year. The rosemary has gone to a friend. It was big! Only a few strawberries are left to move. The trellis has already been moved. I have never figured out why people rearrange their gardens, yet I am.

Patty in Yorktown

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