The strawberry plants are starting to put out new growth. I took a rake and went over the bed raking out any dead growth and leaves that have blown into the bed over winter. We have sycamore trees and their huge leaves blow everywhere and take forever to break down. I will put them in the compost pile instead.
I trimmed up any dead runners that the rake didn't get and pulled the weeds that were just sprouting. Above you can see new leaves just emerging from the crown.
Once it is completely weeded I am going to add some blood and bone meal and compost tea then reapply clean straw mulch before they get too big. That should hold them over until after they produce.
Strawberries for us are such an easy perennial crop to grow. We simply clean them out and mulch well in the spring, add occasional soil amendments and fertilizer and pick them in June. I do replant my beds every 3 to 4 years but for the wonderful fruit you get they are very little work!
How's your strawberry patch?
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
What kind of rake do you use? One of those hard oblong ones with the short curved teeth?
ReplyDeleteYou don't worry about breaking off the new growth?
The only strawberries we have here are the wild ones that poke through your gloves when you try to weed them. I need some good thick weeding gloves.
Hope you all have a blessed day! :o)
I actually just use a leaf rake and go over it lightly. Just enough to get the debris off it and expose the dirt. Then weeded it and put down fesh straw before they start really growing.
DeleteI enjoy your blog and check it daily. We too have a strawberry patch last year we harvested about 30 pounds from it. Just enough for our family of four to have frozen strawberry's over the winter and for me to make some jam. I just raked and weeded my patch about a week ago. Can you tell me why you add bone and blood meal? what is the purpose of doing it before it flowers? Does it stimulate the new growth? I add bone and blood meal to my melon patch when they start to flower because I read to do so in a book and it does wonders for my melons. Last year I harvested 54 pounds of honeydew 213 pounds of watermelons and 63 pounds of cantaloupe. Thanks Belinda
ReplyDeleteBone meal is a source of calcium. Blood meal is a source of Nitrogen. They are added at flower to help with the development of fruit. If you add it too early ( prior to flower) then you can run the risk of lots of leaves and green growth and very little fruit. I add a little powdered milk (calcium) and Epsom salt (magnesium) to the soil when planting roses and tomatoes also.
DeleteMine are uncovered. Here in the Northland with our severe winters we have to cover them heavily with hay or straw over winter. But we've had an early spring here so I went ahead and uncovered them :-)
ReplyDeleteI like that spider!
ReplyDeleteGail only you would see that spider ; )
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