Strawberries

In just a few days we will get to begin picking our two rows of strawberries. We will need to plant a another row this year because our first row will be three years old and then they will not produce as many strawberries. It is good to rotate the beds every 2-3 year's or at least add new berries to your patch. We grow our strawberries in "hills" We cut all runners when they form not allowing them to jump over to make a new plant. This keeps our strawberries tidy and we get larger strawberries this way.


Where to plant Strawberries: We have our strawberries in two long raised beds but you can plant strawberries about anywhere.

1. They like a sunny location

2. Southern exposure is best

3. A place were there is good air circulation

4. They need good drainage (watch out for tree roots)

5 Good soil pH 5-6 We top dress with compost every year.


We will make our new raised beds this fall so when spring comes we will add our new plants... we can either "catch" some runners or dig up small plants to add to our new bed. We always plant so the crown is at surface level...planting to deep can cause the crown to rot. We have never used straw because I have always thought that it would attract slugs..because of it retaining moisture...but as I have written before we are having trouble with slugs never the less. I am now thinking straw might be a good idea. We are still using egg shells but that is not keeping them a way from my delicious strawberries.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Egg Shells and slugs...

We have been placing crushed egg shells around our strawberry plants to get rid of the slugs...I have to say I am not sure if this is working or not....I think the roughness of the shells is helping to inhibit their movement but not repelling them from eating our wonderful strawberries. I have read that you have to have 2 inches of egg shells to keep the slugs from moving over to the plants.

We will have our chicken coop built in the matter of weeks...so we will have many eggs before to long. I think I will keep trying the egg shells because I don't like using anything not organic...do you have any advice about slugs or how you keep them off your strawberries.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Baking soda and your garden

I have been trying to find way's to use what I have in the kitchen to help our garden plants...and I have found that I can use a mixture of baking soda to control black-spot and powdery mildew.

1 tablespoon of baking soda

1 gallon of water

1 teaspoon liquid dish soap (cheap)

I mix this together and put in a spray bottle.

I use this once a week. * Don't use on a sunny day*


You can use this on strawberries and roses


Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Get Rid of Slugs

I usually try to go out early in the morning to remove the slugs off my strawberries...I put them in a bucket of soapy water....but there are times that I can't get out early enough. So here is what I do.....

I have found that if I place mason jar lid filled with beer (cheap) they will stay off my strawberries.

Keep replacing beer as needed.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Strawberry jump start

Strawberry Jump Start

1 can of beer

1/2 cup cold coffee

2 tablespoon of liquid dish soap

2 gallons of water

mix all items together in a big bucket...soak berries bare roots in solution for 10 minutes. Then plant strawberries right away and place the rest of solution on the plants.


Happy Gardening...

Lynn