Hi All,
I'm working with a limited space and would really like to build a bed for strawberries that hangs from a railing going around my deck. I'd like your help in determining whether this is:
A) A good idea
B) Will work
C) Will produce any strawberries.
Below is a very crude artist's (read:me) rendering of what it may look like. I'm thinking 8-10" of soil depth. It will be closed on both sides but I left the one side open for viewing purposes... Construction will be 2x4s and plywood.
Thanks again!!
[img]https://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk308/edlorenz7/stwbed.png[/img]
-
bullthistle
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
- Location: North Carolina
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 31062
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
There are a couple of considerations.
1. Strawberries are perennial, but depending on your location, exposed aboveground box will freeze solid and kill the strawberries in the winter.
2. You will obviously need to make drainage holes for the box. The exposed box will dry out faster so you will need a good watering regimen or automated drip line irrigation.
3. Strawberries basically are available in two types -- June bearers that fruit all at once in late spring/early summer and Dayneutral/Everbearers that fruit in late spring/early summer in smaller amount, then sporadically through the rest of the year, but more after weather cools down than in the heat of the summer. June bearers will actually start looking ratty as the season progresses after harvest. One recommendation is to cut all the foliage, then let them regrow. In any case, not very impressive. but they will grow runners and they to spread -- will you have room in the box or will you pot them up, or will you simply cut them off?
4. There are everbearing varieties that fruit on the daughter plantlets on runners. These are the varieties best suited to hanging containers because they look so nice.
1. Strawberries are perennial, but depending on your location, exposed aboveground box will freeze solid and kill the strawberries in the winter.
2. You will obviously need to make drainage holes for the box. The exposed box will dry out faster so you will need a good watering regimen or automated drip line irrigation.
3. Strawberries basically are available in two types -- June bearers that fruit all at once in late spring/early summer and Dayneutral/Everbearers that fruit in late spring/early summer in smaller amount, then sporadically through the rest of the year, but more after weather cools down than in the heat of the summer. June bearers will actually start looking ratty as the season progresses after harvest. One recommendation is to cut all the foliage, then let them regrow. In any case, not very impressive. but they will grow runners and they to spread -- will you have room in the box or will you pot them up, or will you simply cut them off?
4. There are everbearing varieties that fruit on the daughter plantlets on runners. These are the varieties best suited to hanging containers because they look so nice.
Last edited by applestar on Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
hmm okay, after hearing this info.. maybe it's better to create the box along the ground of the deck -- I'm not so sure about the weight-bearing capacity of my railing.
I think for the spreading of the plant, I will need to cut off the ones that hang over the edges, unless there's a better way? one of the disadvantages of this approach is that my end space is confined.
if I build the box, say, 8 feet long, 8" of soil width, 8" of soil depth, what is the volume of berries that I can anticipate? are there any special soil considerations? is it feasible to grow from seed at this stage?
I think for the spreading of the plant, I will need to cut off the ones that hang over the edges, unless there's a better way? one of the disadvantages of this approach is that my end space is confined.
if I build the box, say, 8 feet long, 8" of soil width, 8" of soil depth, what is the volume of berries that I can anticipate? are there any special soil considerations? is it feasible to grow from seed at this stage?