Strawberries

[Caribou]

I have a 4' steel ring. It is a section of the Alaska Oil Pipeline. Last year I started filling it with compost. I am thinking about putting strawberries in it. How much dirt, and what mix should I cover the compost with? Any tips on strawberries would be appreciated.

 

[Terri9630]

How "finished" is the compost? If its broken down enough is just plant in it.

 

[Caribou]

It's not all, that finished. It spent most of the winter frozen. It has sunken to close to half.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@Caribou we tend to amend the soil with lots of well broken down cow and horse manure for bulk and also trench compost vegetable scraps in it when growing too. If you have no well rotted manure around then amend the soil with blood and bone. We also give them a side dressing of manure tea being careful not to pour it on their leaves and use a drip irrigation system to keep the water around the base of them.

Here is a link I found with how to grow strawberries and how to maintain them - https://greenharvest.com.au/Plants/Information/Strawberries.html .

 

[WVDragonlady]

I've tried 3 different times to grow strawberries over the years and each time they failed. I've followed different "expert's" advice each time to the letter and nothing. So I gave up lol If I want them then I go to the local farm market.
Hope you do better Caribou




I also can't seem to grow roses,lavender and hydrangeas

 

[dademoss]

If I "try" to grow anything, it's doomed. The best I can do is benign neglect, plant and walk away, then it seems to do OK. I used "miracle stuff" soil and planted a little patch (2x2 ft)of strawberries, they are still alive and we get a few now and then.

 

[Caribou]

If I "try" to grow anything, it's doomed. The best I can do is benign neglect, plant and walk away, then it seems to do OK. I used "miracle stuff" soil and planted a little patch (2x2 ft)of strawberries, they are still alive and we get a few now and then.

Glad to hear it as the wife just brought home 4 bags of MiracleGro.

Right now my plan is to stir the compost one last time, put down a layer of steer manure, and then a couple inches of MiracleGro.

 

[Caribou]

I just went out and stirred the heap and wet it down. It is far more finished than I thought. I have a fair size pile of sand. I'm thinking of adding a couple shovels into the steer manure for drainage.

 

[SheepDog]

When we set our two 3x8 foot raised beds for the strawberries we just used the clay rich soil and some peat moss. They keep trying to spread out so we keep trimming the runners and pulling plants when they get too big. With just those two patches we get enough strawberries for jam and some to freeze for shortcake a few times.

 

[captain belly]

I too, gave up on strawberries. Tried twice and said to heck with it. I get beautiful plants and blooms, and no berries.... every year. I finally pulled all the plants out last year.

 

[Caribou]

I got my strawberries planted today. My brother had strawberries that came back every year and I'm hoping mine will also. I have six red strawberries and six called White Pineberry Strawberries. The white ones have red seeds and are supposed to have a pineapple flavour. I went to PT today so I was looking for something less physical afterwards.

 

[Homesteader33]

I got my strawberries planted today. My brother had strawberries that came back every year and I'm hoping mine will also. I have six red strawberries and six called White Pineberry Strawberries. The white ones have red seeds and are supposed to have a pineapple flavour. I went to PT today so I was looking for something less physical afterwards.

Pineberries are awesome but a little more stubborn getting them started, good luck!

 

[SheepDog]

Try the "Everbearing strawberries. That's what we have and we get enough berries to can and have fresh all summer long.

 

[Terri9630]

Try the "Everbearing strawberries. That's what we have and we get enough berries to can and have fresh all summer long.

We had those. We only got fairly small berries off of it but there were a zillion of them. I still have some preserves left. Stupid jack rabbit found a way into the garden and ate my plants.

 

[hiwall]

Our strawberries wintered well. Many had blossoms but they all froze off. The plants will be fine but it was a big set back.

 

[Caribou]

Try the "Everbearing strawberries. That's what we have and we get enough berries to can and have fresh all summer long.

The Pineberries are called everbearing. The Sequia Strawberries say they fruit in June and bear through fall.

The wife plans to plant leaf lettuce in the same bed. We got a book that says these crops grow well together, we'll check it out.

 

[Weedygarden]

The Pineberries are called everbearing. The Sequia Strawberries say they fruit in June and bear through fall.

The wife plans to plant leaf lettuce in the same bed. We got a book that says these crops grow well together, we'll check it out.

I'm checking in with you on how your strawberries turned out.

I've tried growing strawberries a few times. The squirrels always got them and I didn't. I have a neighbor who puts a net over his to squirrel proof them, but one day a squirrel under the net and couldn't find its way out. I didn't see it, but evidently he had to free the squirrel and figure out how to secure the net.