I am wondering if anyone has grown them in a bale. I mean on the top, ends and sides like a strawberry jar? I think I may try it. I have a couple empty bales and some plants that need to be moved. What do you guys think?
Strawberry question
Well since strawberries come back every year and strawbales don't, I don't think it would work too well unless you boxed them in like I have done. Even then they decompose so much that by next year you will have nothing but rotting straw and some of the best compost you've ever seen.
Doug
Then I could pull the new plants from the runners and plant in a new bale?
How are your strawberries doing?
They are still in the old bed. I need to move the whole bed. They are out from under the snow where they were all winter and are now putting on some new growth in the crowns.
I have been growing my strawberries in my straw bale for the last 5 years. The bales last me 2 years then I transplant the plants to the new bales. I grow the largest berries in the neighbor hood.
Now I am going to try and grow some Rhubarb in the bales. Why not. I love strawberry / rhubarb pie. I think it will work just fine.
You be the judge. I don't do a thing to them in the winter, they just die back and then start blooming all over again the next year. I live in Oregon and we get plenty of rain but very seldom does it snow here.
Thanks so much for this info. I have mine in 20 gallon tubs now. They have not done great. :( I will move them to bales. Should I have the bales ready for the runners to be transplanted? My plants are two years old so I know I can do away with the mother plants.
I never got rid of the mother plants as they keep throwing more runners. Why get rid of something that is still producing?
Really I have one plant that is about 5 years old. I will take a pic of it.
My folks were berry farmers in South Louisiana and it was a rule with them to never keep a plant more than 2 years because the fruit got smaller.
Heheh, I guess no one told my plants that. They still are giving me Bigguns.
My folks were farming when I was a baby so that was 50 years ago. No doubt different strains of plants have been developed by now. :)
I may just have been lucky. I did notice when I went out to photograph the mother plant, it was one that got mulched with the old bales. so I guess we are starting a new generation. Hope they are as prolific as their parent plants were. The ones that I did photograph are mothers of 4 years. Things are just getting going and the runners are running and the flowers are just beginning to bud. We get a late start here.
This message was edited May 26, 2012 10:38 AM
I bought a hanging strawberry basket with plants in it. Very healthy and the plants have fruit on. The blooms are pink. Very pretty. I got one as a gift last year from a friend but the blooms were white. I am ashamed to say I have not taken too good of care of it but it is still surviving. The one I bought was reduced from $12 to $7.
I have a hanging strawberry planter that I am going to put some of my plants in so I can have one of the tubs for my raspberry plant.
