I have seven year old strawberries that are doing fine, despite my program
of neglect.
I have also tried some experiements with wild strawberries that seem to be
working so far, and other experiements aren't doing so well. I tried
planting some along one edge of our pond, giving them full sun and moist
soil; the strawberries are hanging in there but not thriving. I tried
planting some under some mature pine trees where they would get filtered
sun and lots of mulch; one area is working better than another, but I don't
yet understand the difference. None of these are getting watered by me.
One thing I noticed about the wild strawberrries, and then saw the same
thing happening with some "domestic" ones I have planted in a non garden
area, is that they like to be in shady places (possibly because we have
long periods of dry weather) where they get a regular sprinkle of mulch
from the trees above. The strawberries seem to like to stretch up through
this mulch; it seems to revive them. Some of the wild strawberries I
transplanted to our property (saved from an impending road cut on my
father's property) had stems as long as five or six inches reaching down
into the soil. I can see how in a cultivated field the soil around the
strawberries is probably going down not up, and eventually this would leave
the strawberry poking up out of the soil, something they don't seem to like.
Some of my domestic strawberries have been in pots for the last five or six
years and are doing well. I have successfully divided the multiple stems
which seems to be their prefered way of multiplying rather than sending out
runners. I also have some planted in the ground under an apple tree where
they get watered; these seem happiest of all. Next I'm going to try
planting some in the garden beds (which I haven't done for years) and some
out in the orchard where they'll have to fend for themselves.
Eric Storm
Jeff wrote:
> Strawberries
>
> The latest issue of Pomona has an article about strawberries
> that was interesting. The author (Kevin Mathews) attacked the
> conventional wisdom that strawberry beds are only good for a
> few years and then need replanting. His are now six years old
> and mine are going on five years.
>
> Eventually the article concludes that there may be three
> factors which led to conventional beliefs:
>
> 1. Disease builds up in large mono-cropped farms
> 2. Plants seem to loose vigor
> 3. Plants become crowded.
>
> So... if we spread our strawberries out a little, restore the
> vigor with a little mulch, and clean away rotting leaves will
> that solve all the problems? I think so. This translates into
> something like this:
>
> 1. plant berries at least 12 inches apart and better yet
> spread around the garden.
> 2. Mulch each spring with compost.
> 3. remove old leaves and clean up plants after harvest.
>
> These steps are different from the ones Kevin recommended (easier)
> and they have worked for us. In any case the steps are not
> as important as understanding "why" and adapting the process
> to each site.
>
> ----------
> Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
> Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
>
>
