[adri123]

Hi

Just received 20 Buddy runners from Blackmore Nursery.

In the box it says plant 16" apart.

I'm trying to run my raised beds using the square foot gardening system which says 4 strawbs per sq foot.

There's a massive difference between Blackmore's recommended spacing and the SFG recommendation. 

Is one right or neither?  I suspect neither but after seeing how tightly packed strawbs are in a commercial tunnel I'm leaning towards the tighter planting of SFG.

Any opinions welcome.

Adri

[JayG]

I wouldn't push it closer than 12" in each direction, which means that you could fit 4 into a single square foot, but of course you couldn't do the same with any adjacent squares! 

[Nobbie]

The Fruit Expert recommends 18" between plants and 24" between rows, you might get away with 12" each way in the first year, but they are quite big plants. You could raise new plants each year for this method maybe?

[surbie100]

I have mine at 8inch spacing. I got a pretty decent crop, but then I have over 100 plants, so them being cramped a bit doesn't bother me. I do feed them well.

[azubah]

If they make a lot of runners they will soon fill up any spare space.

[Armleywhite]

I have mine at 8inch spacing. I got a pretty decent crop, but then I have over 100 plants, so them being cramped a bit doesn't bother me. I do feed them well.

Mine are about a foot apart and seem to be ok.  What do you feed your strawbs with? 

[surbie100]

They had a good handful of manure under them when being planted, and some BFB. When fruiting they had either tomato feed or comfrey tea regularly.

[lazza]

I have a 4'x4' bed (roughly) and there are 18 plants in it in 5 rows: 4-3-4-3-4

This year I got nearly 20lbs of strawbs, and they're only in year 2.

[adri123]

I thought year 2 was supposed to be the most productive.

I've planted mine according to SFG.  4 per sq ft.  See how they go.  It's very tight I know but if they say 4 per sq ft for SFG it must be for a reason...

Adri