Strawberries planted!

I just planted a 4x4 box with strawberries today. WOW on the MM. It was really awesome to work with. I'm sure it will grow great crops, but honestly I'm sold just on the fact that I didn't have to till and then break up sticky wet clay stuff when I planted.

I probably planted the strawberries too closely. The paper from the nursery suggested 18", and I did about 6". I had so many plants, though, that I didn't know what to do with all of them. I bought 2 varieties with 25 plants in each bundle. I still have leftovers that I'm going to stick in a window box so I don't waste them.

I also didn't put a grid on it since it was all strawberries. I plan to add the pyramid next year, so I just decided to leave the grid off the berries (I know, not a true SFG!). Perhaps that contributed to my overplanting.

I'm so excited to start planting more stuff. I have 2 more 4x8 boxes to get started with, but I'm having a sun/shade trellis issue that I can't figure out, so I'm scared to start. I'll probably post pictures and ask for advice in the next few days.

Good for you! I think you're okay on the spacing--if you're going to trim the runners, Mel says 4 per square, so that'd be 64 plants for a 4 x 4. I did the exact same thing, 25 plants each of 2 varieties. I do have a grid but I'm thinking of lifting it up and stealing it for one of my new beds. I put mine in a couple weeks ago and they seem to be doing fine. They drink more water than I expected, although it has been hot and sunny here without a drop of rain. I've been picking off 4 or 5 blossoms each day--boy is that hard to do! Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run.

Can I jump in and ask a quick strawberry question?

The only strawberry plants I could find had two plants growing together in each cube shaped pot. So I very carefully pulled apart the chunk of dirt--which entailed ripping apart some of the roots...oops, to get the two plant separated so I could plant them. Was that a bad idea? Did I kill them?

I'm planning strawberries too, so I'm glad to read anything about them. We have an aquaintance who will be giving us their supply of everbearing strawberry plants as they want to get rid of their garden. I don't know anything about everbearing. I hope they will work out ok - I don't know how old the plants are, but I assume the will send runners this year and grow new baby plants. Do everbearing plants do this like the Junde bearing?

Hi JBH,

They do produce runners, but in my experience not nearly as many as June bearing.

Good luck!

Kristen

I don't plan to pinch off the blooms this year. I've read that if you do that, it will increase the harvest the following year, but I've also read that there's never been any real proof of that, and many times people can't tell the difference. So, bring on the first year berries-- the few that I'll get anyway.

Yeah, it's a much debated subject. We had a U Pick strawberry farm growing up and never let first year plants fruit so I guess I am doing it out of habit. I should get a few berries from my everbearing plants in late summer. I guess it is an excercise in patience if nothing else!