[richardoram]

Hi All,

We're planning on converting our raised salad bed to grow strawberries this year, we're building a raised salad bed in the back garden, just more convenient.  We've cleared the bed of weeds now and we're thinking of having the plants growing through membrane.

Can anybody give us any advice on how to prepare the soil and what to do next please?

Many thanks

Richard

[lucywil]

in my experience strawberries dont need any special treatment, just stick them in and they will do the rest, in fact i think if the fruit wasnt so nice i would consider them to be a weed

[Bombers]

Hi All,

We're planning on converting our raised salad bed to grow strawberries this year, we're building a raised salad bed in the back garden, just more convenient.  We've cleared the bed of weeds now and we're thinking of having the plants growing through membrane.

Can anybody give us any advice on how to prepare the soil and what to do next please?

Many thanks

Richard

Hi Richard,
As soon as the soils dry enough, add some well rotted manure. If you can't get any 'muck' down to your lottie, you can purchase a large bag
from the garden centre, and fork or 'fluff' it in a bit. leave for a month or so, then plant your seedlings out. Once they take, then there's really no need for weed supressant  IMHO.you won't be able to see the soil! When the first fruit appear, I usually buy a big bag of straw (from the local pet shop) and lay between the plants, (to keep the fruit  from rotting on the wet ground). Oh.... and don't forget the netting. Blackbirds LURVVV strawberries!!  :roll: Hope this helps!

[horsepooisgood]

Hi Richard,

Bombers dead on there but dont forget you will need lots of clotted cream.

[richardoram]

Thanks guys, that's great. I have a friend who has horses so I have a continuous supply of manure. I guess the same goes for plants, just throw them in, as we're not growing them from seed? I was thinking about putting some stakes in the corners to attach net to, to keep out flying friends off.

And yes, plenty of cream, yum!

[Trillium]

The horse manure is essential for good berries as strawberry plants are hungry feeders. But when the berries start forming next year, they'll flop onto the ground and start rotting quickly so some sort of protection is helpful, be it membrane or simply straw mulch (never hay), to keep them off the soil. Some bone meal thrown in as well will help nourish the plants later.

[nobby]

best way to protect your strawbs is to give the bed a 1inch layer of sharp sand
this will do 3 things 1keep of slugs 2 protect the frute 3 stop the crowns roting in wet conditions

[Johndeb]

Improve the soil all you can, but remember strawberries are a short life plant that is susceptible to virus attach.  If you can, work them into your veg plot rotation so your strawbs stay in one place for 3 years and then you move them on.

[RichardA]

my grandaughter is faster than any blackbird. Solution -- I put four plants in her little plot to keep her out of mine. My current strawberry plot is actually a well aged compost heap that I flattened and spread around and then dug in.
Next site is being prepared now. Is spent mushroom compost a good idea or not around strawberries -- is lime an issue ??
R