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sheeshshe
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thinking about growing strawberries

I'm contemplating... :) I thought about doing an early season, midseason, and late season variety. so I'd get 25 plants of each type. so thats 75 plants. what size area do I need for something like this? and what else important do I need to know? do I amend the soil the same as I would for raspberries?

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applestar
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They're supposed to be planted 12" apart... and they spread.
DoubleDog Farm will tell you I leave it for someone else to do the math :>

But remember you don't have to plant them all in the same area, although it's generally better to plant same variety in the same area and not mix them together.

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sheeshshe
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OK, so I would need three separate areas then.

so lets see, if 12" apart and there are 25 of each type that would be a 15'x15' area? did I do that right? LOL!

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applestar
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:lol:  Don't forget to allow some space for paths, and space for them to spread. :wink: Each plant will produce little plantlets (runners) and each plantlets will produce runners. You propagate and "renew" your strawberry beds by controlling the number of runners produced, also by growing the runners in containers to plant elsewhere.

75 plants is a lot to plant, especially early in the season when it's still very cold -- I ordered 75 plants for delivery two springs ago, and they came around 2nd week of March. They were right on the money as far as the ground being thawed and ready to plant within a week of arrival, but I had to pace myself -- it took me 2-1/2 weeks to plant them all! :roll:

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sheeshshe
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OK, how many plants do you think I should get you think...? we are a family of 5 and my kids are fruitaholics. LOL!

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sheeshshe
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I'm thinking perhaps doing a raised bed... or raised beds. depending on how many I get. maybe I could get 2 varieties instead of the three?? in all actuality I would like to preserve some as well, but my kids like I said are going to raid the things.

I can't believe its gettin freezing cold out here right now and all I can think about is what to plant in the spring. I have a problem. LOL!

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I'm growing SeaScape and Shuksan. SeaScape is a day-neutral variety and Shuksan a June bearing.

SeaScape will produce the first year, for several months, until frost.

Shuksan is heavy one week or so, producer for freezing. The first year you should remove the flowers to establish plants.

My strawberries are planted on raised beds. Spaced at about 12". 30 plants per 3ft x 10ft bed.

I really like the SeaScapes and probably will pull the Shuksans.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02289.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02294.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02310.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Farmers%20Market%20Produce/DSC02592.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Farmers%20Market%20Produce/DSC02594.jpg[/img]

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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sheeshshe
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now, the everbearing ones... are you supposed to replace them each year? I've been reading here and there about them and it is just confusing. I'm not sure what is supposed to be done. maybe I could get some seascape and some of another variety that I can do canning with. so the kids can eat the everbearing ones and I can use the others for canning?

I could do a 3ft by 18ish ft strip on the end of my garden on the other side of the fence. so I could get 50 plants. 25 of the seascape and 25 of honeyoye.


what do I need to do to amend the soil? what do I purchase for a raised bed? I've never done raised beds before. I get a topsoil or something and mix it with a compost? or IDK! do I need the dome over them?

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sheeshshe
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maybe I'll have family give the kids $ for plants for christmas gifts ;)

DoubleDogFarm
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maybe I'll have family give the kids $ for plants for christmas gifts
or a gift certificate from your favorite nursery. :) Money can be spent on almost anything. :wink:
now, the everbearing ones... are you supposed to replace them each year? I've been reading here and there about them and it is just confusing. I'm not sure what is supposed to be done. maybe I could get some seascape and some of another variety that I can do canning with. so the kids can eat the everbearing ones and I can use the others for canning?
I would replace them every 3 years. If you encourage daughter plants, you are basically replacing plants every year. If you do a mat system, you just run your mower down the middle. Then the following year, train the new plants towards the middle. Then year 3, you mow down each long side. Then train the new plants towards the outside. Hope this makes sense.

I would say any good garden soil will grow strawberries. Be careful with nitrogen. You will have big beautiful plants but low production.

No need for the dome thingy. (Low tunnel with Agribon) It will give you earlier fruit, more fruit, longer season. It also keeps the Yellow Jackets off my strawberries. May even regulate some of the strawberry deases.

Eric
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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sheeshshe
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thanks so much! lots of great information. :)

the low tunnel with agribon sounds lovely. do you have to special order those?

ok, not a lot of nitrogen. so chicken poo is out of the running. how about getting the seafood compost? would that be good?

DoubleDogFarm
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I welded up my own low tunnels and purchased the Agribon from dripworks.com.

Here is a low tunnel story from Mother Earth News. Garden5 posted it in an earlier posting.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Low-Tunnels-Quick-Hoops.aspx.

Rainbowgardener uses old political signs. Should be a whole bunch of those available after tomorrow. The quicker they disappear the better. :wink: :lol:

Even though I'm surrounded by water, I'm not familar with seafood compost. I use liquid fish and kelp in my garden. Apply about once a month.

Eric
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