Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Lessons for a New Gardener with Strawberries

They say you learn from your mistakes. Okay, here's what I've learned this year so far.

1. Strawberries need straw. Too many strawberries are being lost to their contact with the soil. Next year I must apply mulch of some sort in April.

2. Strawberries need air. I thought I thinned the berries. I just hate ripping out plants and pruning trees and thinning canes. Thinking back to how big (not!) the strawberry plants grew during their first summer (last year), I didn't realize they would grow so full and lush this year. Suffice it to say, I need to yank out a LOT more plants next May and leave plenty of space in the rows so that the plants don't overcrowd each other, which reduces fresh air and encourages rot.

Now, this is not to say that my strawberry patch is doing poorly. But oh, next year I want it to be so much better!

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