Planting Strawberries

My 50 new strawberry plants have arrived. I ordered them from Stark Bros. They are a Missouri based supplier of fruit trees and berry starts. As the number of grandchildren increases I find that the size of the strawberry patch must increase also. If not Pawpaw and I don't get any : )

When I lived in the south strawberries were planted as an annual meaning that new plants were planted every year. My father grew strawberries commercially when I was a child and they were planted in raised rows under a black plastic. Now that I live in the North strawberries here are planted more as short term perennials. I replant my strawberry patch every 4 years or so with completely new plants as they start to naturally thin out. The existing bed of strawberry plants are 1 year old. 

They were cleaned out and weeded last week and a thin layer of rabbit poop was spread over the soil as an organic fertilizer. They are coming back nicely.



So this weekend we extended the bed with the addition of 5 more old railroad ties and filled the area with compost and rabbit manure. The railroad ties were free from a neighbor. They were in pretty bad shape but will work for what we need them for.

We then tilled, raked and watered the soil to pack it good and we were ready to plant. Now maybe with triple the strawberry plants there will be enough plants for the grandkids to get fresh berries and grandma to have plenty left over for jam and let's not forget that strawberry wine.  We had an extra few feet at the end of the bed so we divided a rhubarb plant and trans planted it there. With all the compost and manure we added they should grow there nicely!

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter