[Kleftiwallah]

Now then you you economicals out there, what can I use (that is cheap/free) as strawberry mats next year.  Over to you.    Cheers,  Tony.

[snowdrops]

Weed membrane, plant the plants through, should last you the 3 years until you need to replace the plants

[BumbleJo]

Having just planted some new plants I was thinking along those lines.  James Wong says that red matting gives amazing yields but the only stuff I've found is way too expensive. 

[Goosegirl]

Aha - another reference to James Wong's book! Due to lack of space and the way my new strawbs performed in pots this year (no slug damage) I'm getting a friend to make me one of those benches with seats either side and then planting them in big plastic troughs which will sit on the top and seats. I'll have to find a red paint for the troughs and some sort of red cover for the table. For mats, can you get hold of any thick red felt or similar?

[Kleftiwallah]

I like that idea of snowdrops.  Can I dump well rotted horse muck on top of the weed matting?    Cheers,  Tony.

[snowdrops]

I like that idea of snowdrops.  Can I dump well rotted horse muck on top of the weed matting?    Cheers,  Tony.

No not really,but you can prepare the bed well before hand with it.

[SusieB]

Can I please ask, what is the deal with the red matting?  I am due to plant my strawberries.

[Goosegirl]

James Wong says that studies have shown that strawbs planted through a red plastic mulch tricks them into thinking they have nearby competitors so they produce bigger and sweeter fruit.

[strangerachael]

James Wong says that studies have shown that strawbs planted through a red plastic mulch tricks them into thinking they have nearby competitors so they produce bigger and sweeter fruit.

Really??? Do strawberries have that much 'awareness'? and if so, wouldn't you get the same result from just scattering a few random, red objects among the plants? I'm willing to give that a try!

[Goosegirl]

It's an interesting concept and there's nothing lost in trying it out. If it's a plastic mulch, then you'd need room around the crown to let the rain in, plus some slug pellets underneath as a precaution. I don't see why putting red objects close to them shouldn't work just as well - not sure about that though. Would painting newspaper or similar with red paint be a cheap option?