strawberries

well..we did this last weekend..this weekend we have high winds and cold...

i have grown strawberries in several different ways and enjoyed each one..but only for about 3 years each..
one on a flat raised bed and then a strawberry pryamid thing
i am obviously not up to the maintaince involved in lots of plants..
but darn
picking frest fruit and eating it has to be one of the best joyful pleasures so i have to have some berries


you could do this in a barrel or large pot or other container..so don't hesitate to invent something to grow them in
..even a hanging basket would work and i've seen those for sale all ready for you....
just hang and water

there are two types of strawberries..june bearing..which bear fruit in the spring
and everbearing which usually will bear fruit in the spring and in the fall..or sometimes continally thur the summer

i got a package of each

i bought a package of them 10 plants for 5.99..and got 11 plants out of this package



this is what comes out of that tightly wrapped package
the package will give you instructions
this one said to soak the bunch for a few minutes in water
be careful to snip the rubber band and not the plants




and then gently pull them apart




this is what you will have



this is hubby's lastest thing..it is called a mandrill (sp?) it was what they would coil steel on to transport it
and hubby being a junk collector of some note (lol) had great fun when the mill closed and they sold a lot of stuff off for pennies

yes it is very heavy so we put it in place using a hand cart thing..like they move appliances on
hubby had fun with his cutting torch to make some holes and then put the alum pieces in place
and his idea of the center piece created a discussion..but he drilled holed in it so you can water from the middle
i lost that discussion
but the next one was wheather it should be painted..haha i won that one in not painting it...
i like the rustic look






so then fill with soil


when you plant strawberries you should spread out the roots in all directions
and just far enough into the soil so the heart is not covered
they are easy to plant


it's the same old thing..lay them out the way you think you want them
then put them in the dirt
water in and watch em grow


this darling addition is only about 7 steps from the door..

and as a bonus a couple days later we saw some of last years dill had dropped seeds where this is
so there will be dill around it..hahahah
it will be fun to see if anything happens between them

oh..i almost forgot..the instructions also say to pinch off the first blossoms...sigh..yeah it is hard..but it will give you a better even more fruitful plant

ok..now
go forth and plant

I tell you sky, you and your hubby are very innovative and creative. Your both very self sustainable. The lessons I have been learning from you here will hold me in good steed when I move and set up my veggie and fruit patch.

I did buy a strawberry plant and potted in ma's backyard but only got one yield, although they were very tasty, no more fruit but the leaves are still very green there.

Your giving me heaps of ideas roamin around in my head on what to do with future food garden. he,he. thanks sky. xo

Sky you certainly are building up a library of garden goodness.

Sky I can't wait to hear more on these strawberrys when they grow.

Strawberrys are a dirty word around me to the point that I'm done with them in my small pot space till I read more up on them.

I love Hakowase strawberrys, quite large and sweet.

soma
well they are a pain in the ass to deal with..that's for sure..so i'm hoping this is easier...
even if i need new plants every so often...

what's your gripe ?

They never look like the pics LOL

I must have the ph all wrong in the pots :(

it's always the pots fault.. :laughter: :laughter:
sorry i had to..lol

hey..they need lots of sun and water..but also have to be well drained..
here's one place i found that might help cause it talks about ph

good luck

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/growstrawberries

Thanks for the Link Sky :)

I cant help myself...already looking forward to another try at growing the berry's.

I will whisper to the pots during the winter

I just remembered a tip the guy who sold us the mega pots told us sky.

Mulch Strawberry's with Pine Needles, apparently that will lower the ph.

Pine needles Soma, that's interesting.

Hi there, I spent all weekend planting for friends--I do mostly container gardens for patios and such. Here's the strawberries we are planting. Arugula in the narrow pots above the strawberries
[img]

niceeeeeeee Louise...
you need to do more threads with your container pics...i know the rest of the folks here would enjoy seeing how it is done
and any tips of course
i started some of these threads just to show that you can start from scratch and grow stuff in small places...
and you are in even smaller spaces..soooooooooooo
do some instructions with the pretty pics..k

and where are you..looks way warmer than here and i thought you were more north in NY..was i wrong?
is that Rochester?

do you pinch the blossoms at the first bloom or not...i can never decide and do some then stop..hahahahahah

nice to have more gardeners on board..

I'm experimenting---

I found this re: strawberries:
Strawberry Pots

Strawberry pots are designed to hold one to three plants at the top. The pockets in the sides would then be able to hold any runners that developed as the plant matured. However, many gardeners fill all the openings with strawberry right from the start. To plant your own strawberry pot, you will need a piece of PVC pipe that is capped at one end, a drill, potting soil, and a strawberry pot. Cut the pipe so that it will fit inside the strawberry pot with the uncapped end even with the pot's rim. Drill 1/8" diameter holes an inch apart down alternating sides of the pipe. In other words, on one side your first hole might be 1/2" inch from the top, but on the other side your first hole would be one inch from the top.

Partially fill with the pot with soil and insert the tube, capped end down, into the center of the pot. Loosely add the rest of the potting mix. Plant each pocket. Add more soil around the roots if needed. Finish by planting two to three plants at the top and soaking the soil well. Water the pot by inserting a funnel into the pipe and pour water into it, ensuring that the water is distributed evenly through the pot.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/growstrawberries#ixzz0oEoEnlMX

I have taken "before" pics of my own patio to document--more later off to work

I am 50 miles north of NYC---in the country. My friend is further south.

well sure looks like your weather has been better...

have you gotten over to herkimer to dig diamonds?

we did it years ago and luv'd every minute..but haven't gotten back

sky otter wrote:

well sure looks like your weather has been better...

have you gotten over to herkimer to dig diamonds?

we did it years ago and luv'd every minute..but haven't gotten back

I went to herkimer many years ago, probably 1989. we chose a VERY hot summer day to dig amongst the hot rocks. I still have my little "diamonds".

Nice Pics Louise!

The strawberry's look like they're going for gold.