SWFLA StrawBerries

[H20.world]

Just ordered some pre-rooted strawberry starters online, and can't wait to get em growin'! Anyone seen anything around here about growing the berry? It's perfect time of year for em outdoors in my area... The fields are filling up with em!

[H20.world]

My intentions are to use CoCoCoir/Perlite mix and feeding via dripper on a timer. Any recommendations on a starting pH? 6ish?

Thanks...

[Grey]

I wish I knew from personal experience, but I never got around to growing strawberries in FL.

A pH of 5.3 to 6.5 is optimal, but strawberries will grow in soils with a pH between 5.0 and 7.0.

[opabinia51]

Well being a huge fan of varied soils, I would recommend using a more natural soil consisting of some compost, manure, maybe some leaf mold and if you still want, some perlite.

You'll find that your strawberries will have a lot more flavour and be that much more resistant to disease.

But, do what you like.

[Grey]

I didn't know what CoCoCoir was. In FL I never had any use for pearlite, even though my hubby bought it (primarily for his cactus garden, to keep the sand even looser and drier, which I didn't understand because I thought cacti naturally grew in sand in the first place.)

Florida sand is as loose as you can get, and naturally lacking in any nutrients, so the more natural additives you can mix in your soil or in your pots, the better.

Better hurry on those strawberries, if I remember rightly you are actually behind as planting season is (I think) in November and harvest season is late January/early February.

[The Helpful Gardener]

What kind of strawberries? Day neutrals? Everbearers? Those should set for a while; spring bearers would be the ones that would only set for the one crop. The other advantage to the first two is that they don't run near as much and that's a big advantage in smaller spaces (like less than ten acres, say )

I really think the pearlite is a waste, Grey is right, the soil down there drains plenty fast, what's needed is more nutrient CoCoCoir is a great peat alternative that's a lot easier on the planet, but Opa's right, his list of additives is a great idea. Strawberries feed hard.

And what are we feeding through a dripper? Fish emulsion? Seaweed emulsion? Not the blue goo I hope. Stuff is wiping out your coral down there...

Scott

[H20.world]

EverBearingBerries: Ozark Beauts...

They've arrived! 50 pre-rooted lil rascals... I got about ten potted in the CoCo so far...

It's gonna be a all time low temp of 37 tonight, the coldest so far this winter... (here, where I'm @ anyways...) I've placed them in the shed for the night to avoid the cold temps... They're fresh transplants, and might not take the cold very well...

Anyways, I'm using HyDroOrganic ferts... It's called Earth Juice. It's made of guanos, and kelps... Good stuff; I reckon...

I have no more perlite, so this batch is straight CoCoCoir.

Thanks again to all that posted...

[The Helpful Gardener]

Good for you with the organic feed. They'll taste better too. Good stuff indeed...

Wet that coir well, and you might want to think about working some manure and cocoa mulch into that soil you'll be planting in (might want to try a bit of sand in with that coir for your starters, rather than just straight coir)

[H20.world]

Unfortunately the containers I'm using for this homemade dripper system aren't all that big. They're probably 4" squared. Not a whole lot of room in there for growing media. I may pick up some seperate containers aswell though, after all... I've got 50 plants to work with here...

I'll be the lab rat and see how 'awesome' this new media is. I've heard alot of good things about it... ...any comments on CoCoCoir?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yep. Talked with some reps who are selling it using Southern Pacific sourcing. It's been a disposable by-product of the coconut trade for centuries, but now offers a good third world emeging industry to replace the diminishing (and ecologically damaging) peat industry. It is far more ph neutral than peat (which is what I used to acidify my aquarium for raising angel fish; peat is ACID), so there's that as well. Good humic content and very absobent. Better than peat and starting to become more available...

H2O, you are planning on doing these in the ground, right?

HG

[H20.world]

H2O, you are planning on doing these in the ground, right?

HG

Naw; my friend. They're all above ground. Too many problematic bugs in my soil here. I've got sod, and turf... Grubs and such are a terrible menace to my plants... I've found that containers above ground are the ticket... Or else a raised bed garden maybe...

Have you checked that link in my above post? It links to a couple pictures that show the dripper rig...

[Grey]

Ah, grubs. And probably nematodes, too, right?
I haven't seen a grub since I left FL. I still have to worry about nematodes tho.

I had raised beds in FL, they were great. I still planted squash, corn and sometimes beans in the ground anyway with a lot of mulch mixed in. I really didn't have any root problems - I often lost my corn crop to beetles and the like.

Something you can do to reduce the number of grubs and nematodes is to solarize your soil this summer for about a month. The hottest months of July and August are the best. Dampen the soil, lay clear plastic sheeting over it, secure the sheeting with tent pegs or rocks at the edges... and that dirt will BAKE the nasty buggers out of there.

[H20.world]

Thanks Grey.

Your right about the nematodes. Corn didn't do so well with me either... Ants infested the rootzone too. What a mess...

I like the raised bed idea.

[Grey]

I never did find a cure for ants.

I don't know how the big white sweet corn growers in FL did it - I tried corn for four years, even built a cage around it all to keep the squirrels out - and we still never got more than a couple cobs out of it.

[The Helpful Gardener]

I can offer lots of general help, but I had no idea you had so many soil fauna out to git yer goodies down there. S'also why we have mods (so folks like Grey who have been there can help out with local knowledge).

Good stuff Grey!

HG