HELP WITH STRAWBERRY PATCH
I have a strawberry patch that has established it self really well. However there is also alot of very established grass. I kepp pulling and pulling and its never ending...any thoughts on how I can make the grass die and not my strawberries?!
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applestar
- Mod
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Mulch? Water the bed well, then wherever there are no strawberry plants, lay
(1) 1 or 2 layers of plain brown paper bags (no ink) + weed seed free compost or grass clippings + straw
or
(2) Weed seed questionable compost or grass clippings + brown paper bag + straw
Where grass is growing WITH the strawberry plants, all I can suggest is to keep pulling'em -- easiest right after rain or watering well. Once strawberry foliage gets really lush, they can usually shade out most weeds....
(1) 1 or 2 layers of plain brown paper bags (no ink) + weed seed free compost or grass clippings + straw
or
(2) Weed seed questionable compost or grass clippings + brown paper bag + straw
Where grass is growing WITH the strawberry plants, all I can suggest is to keep pulling'em -- easiest right after rain or watering well. Once strawberry foliage gets really lush, they can usually shade out most weeds....
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
Weeds in a strawberry patch are one thing, but grass that runs both above and below ground is next to impossible. One possible solution is to start a raised bed or solarize a spot such that the bed contains no grass. Make sure that you have some border or barrier that prevents the grass from encroaching around the edges. Then be vigilant, making sure than no grass ever gets a foothold in the bed.
From what I understand, strawberry beds like to be renewed every three or four years. Am not sure if that means with new plants or not, but I generally just set runners over gallon pots of dirt and let them form transplants for the new bed. Perhaps you will want to consider fighting the grass this season, but at the same time solarize a fresh spot or prepare a new raised bed. Let your existing plants make enough runners to fill the new location this coming fall. Then next year you will be ahead of the game, rather than constrantly trying to play catch up against that pesky grass.
From what I understand, strawberry beds like to be renewed every three or four years. Am not sure if that means with new plants or not, but I generally just set runners over gallon pots of dirt and let them form transplants for the new bed. Perhaps you will want to consider fighting the grass this season, but at the same time solarize a fresh spot or prepare a new raised bed. Let your existing plants make enough runners to fill the new location this coming fall. Then next year you will be ahead of the game, rather than constrantly trying to play catch up against that pesky grass.
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applestar
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Well, you're probably right that starting to plan for a new patch is a good idea, but I've been able to keep the grass down in my strawberries this way. Another method I use is to let vetch grow between the strawberries. I was concerned that the berry production would be stunted, especially when the vetch got away from me, got overgrown, and started shading the strawberries, but it's had the opposite effect. 
I guess the "green manure" nitrogen fixing effect of the vetch did work in their favor. 
Oh, when I'm finally ready to roll up my sleeves and yank that vetch, I do it when the soil is dry so I don't pull out the roots, and lay the greens around the strawberries as mulch. I also "let" some of them go to seed.
I guess the "green manure" nitrogen fixing effect of the vetch did work in their favor. Oh, when I'm finally ready to roll up my sleeves and yank that vetch, I do it when the soil is dry so I don't pull out the roots, and lay the greens around the strawberries as mulch. I also "let" some of them go to seed.