-
smokensqueal
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:36 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO Metro area
Preparing strawberry patch
I've got an area that I'm wanting to plant strawberries. What's the best way to prepare the ground? The soil is a little clay and hard to start with. I have compost that I was going to add when I planted the strawberries. Should I add some sand to help loosen the soil for better drainage? What else do I need to do. Also I'm in zone 6 and I've found different results on if I can actually plant them this fall or not. Thoughts?
Never gardened in a zone6 but my thoughts are that it would be better to plant in spring to give them the maximum period of time to establish before the winter.
As for preparation of a heavy soil add as much rotted organic matter as you can from now until planting tme ie. garden compost and rotted stable/farmyard manure. Check that the supplier of the manure has not been using the herbicide Aminopyralid that is so much in the news and causes loss of crops for the amateur grower.
If drainage is slow after heavy rain (puddles standing on the surface) you need to add grit or grit sand in quantities or consider a raised bed.
As for fertilizers strawberies benefit from a dressing of sulphate of potash at flowering time; this will assist fruit development.
As the name implies strawberry quality will be helped by the laying of clean straw beneath the foliage to keep the fruit clean. Net against birds.
As for preparation of a heavy soil add as much rotted organic matter as you can from now until planting tme ie. garden compost and rotted stable/farmyard manure. Check that the supplier of the manure has not been using the herbicide Aminopyralid that is so much in the news and causes loss of crops for the amateur grower.
If drainage is slow after heavy rain (puddles standing on the surface) you need to add grit or grit sand in quantities or consider a raised bed.
As for fertilizers strawberies benefit from a dressing of sulphate of potash at flowering time; this will assist fruit development.
As the name implies strawberry quality will be helped by the laying of clean straw beneath the foliage to keep the fruit clean. Net against birds.
-
smokensqueal
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 392
- Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:36 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO Metro area
pd, thanks for the good information. The drainage isn't really bad I haven't notice much puddling in the area. I wasn't aware of the the sulphate of potash thing I'll have to keep that in mind. I do plan on using straw as a cover for the winter and then using that same straw to put under the plants in spring for the exact reason you mentioned. I may just have to get some manure and work it in this fall and plant next spring then.