Strawberry's

Okay my DH is getting into the seeds and plants which is kind of funny... He likes to work on old cars! He now wants to put in a strawberry bed. He has a grand idea of covering it up with a net so nothing will eat his strawberries...

I am just happy he is excited about it so I am going to let him figure this out. My only question is has anyone grown strawberries in our zone and what plant did you use. I was looking into it and found a ton of different types. I would like this to work so the girls and DH would want to help work outside..

I got very interested in that last season, and planted some alpine strawberries (from Critter, so technically she planted them -- thank you very much, Critter), and some speciality ones called Mara des Bois and some musk strawberries (they are supposed to be extra flavorful), and a bunch of regular ones -- of the regular ones, I think I decided the most tasty locally were Delmarvel; I can't remember what else I planted.

I really didn't harvest anything last year, but the foliage did well. This year my fingers are crossed, but my garden is quite shady so I might not be successful. My step-son is building a cage for me to ward off the birds and chipmunks (in lieu of rent). So we'll see.

I think you need to plant them this spring or fall to start harvesting the spring of 2009. And they should do very well in this area if you have the right growing conditions. But I am no expert.

I find slugs to be more bothersome than birds.

Slugs are nasty.... I will have to buy a case of cheap beer to rid myself of them! :)

I didn't realize that -- thanks for the heads up about the slugs. I thought I didn't see as many this past season but maybe there were all enjoying the strawberries. I have a huge jug of Sluggo I can pull out -- it purports to be environmentally ok.

Sluggo or a similar bait works way better for me than saucers of icky stale beer...

I got nice strawberries at Southern States last spring, but you have to be quick when they come in -- they sell out fast! Darned if I can remember which varieties I ended up with; hope I kept the labeled packages somewhere, LOL. I planted June-bearing plants in one spot and ever-bearing varieties as a border in another location.

The Marie du Bois that Happy gave me were my hands-down favorites for flavor among the "regular" strawberries. I adore the intense flavor of the little alpine berries, but you'd never pick enough for a pie. The netting might be needed if you have a lot of trouble with birds or bunnies, but I managed to pick enough of the berries for myself. Of course, I eat them even if some critter has nibbled a little off the end... :-)

I dropped by southern states today.. :) I just wanted to look.. They told me that their stuff would be coming in next month and the place would be nuts. He told me people are coming by just to "look". lol

I have not seen that many slugs around me. I think we had two last year, but if it happens I will have to look into the sluggo. I have always used salt or beer to kill them.

Jill I cannot wait to see all of your flowers. I bet your yard is very pretty!

See what a little sun does - Critter got berries off her Mara des Bois, but I didn't get any. I did spot some green berries, and then they disappeared -- probably to chipmunks or birds or slugs. This year I'm going to be on the watch. I had a lot of runners last year -- Jenn, if you are interested I'll check in the spring and bring you some. Critter -- do you want more runners?

I would love some.. Thank you very much.

Jenn and Critter: What Southern States do you go to? The one I went to last year was sleepy-town incarnate. I don't remember which one I went to -- I thought it was near Critter; must have been mid-summer. Do they sell plants: I don't remember seeing much in the way of plants, but I was on a mission to get turkey grit and might not have noticed.

Jenn -- please remind me come spring. I'll definitely forget!

The one I go to is in Glen Burnie. They sell plants.. There is one in Annapolis that we pass on the way to Whole Foods. I have not been to the one in Annapolis..

There's one right here in Frederick. :-)

Happy, I will share with Jenn of course, but I'd love some runners if you have extras. I potted up some that you gave me in fall, and I'll find a nice spot for them this spring. I'm contemplating setting up one of those circular tiered beds for strawberries, or maybe constructing a rectangular version of same if I can figure out how to work the irrigation for it.

I think irrigation is key on pretty much everything I grow. Even the "drought tolerant" plants need good watering the first year or two while they're getting established. 3 cheers for soaker hoses!

I should be able to cover you both, assuming they both runner as much in the spring as they did in the fall. I don't know strawberry habits . . . .

My ever-bearers put out a lot of runners at the end of the season... I tried to convince most of them to go back into the border in an orderly fashion. I pulled a bunch up and put them in water, thinking that I could pot them up at the end of the day, but they wilted bam! and never recovered.

Well, I'll see if they "run" in the spring; maybe they'll hold off until the fall . .. .

This message was edited Jan 21, 2008 11:34 PM

JeanG--I grow alpine strawberries down a bank around a tree. I started with six plants and they have just about covered the area. We have to compete with the chipmunks and birds and bunnies for the fruit--but last spring, we got a whole crock of butter tub full of them and enjoyed strawberry shortcake for desserts!! You have to start clocking the fruit picking time when you see the yellow and white flowers break out. It takes about two to three weeks it seems before you can start picking. And you have to pick quick!! The birds will take them green. A net is good but we had some really aggressive birds who managed to get under it.

It's fun growing your own fruit!! Your DH will really enjoy it. I also have blueberries, 3 kinds of raspberries and blackberries. I put in a beautyberry and viburnum for the birds, so they'd have other things to tamper with. It helps, but I didn't get any blueberries this year because the birds got them before I could net the bushes. I didn't know they would take hard green fruits. Now i do!!

I'll have fall runners if anyone needs. My crops need to be divided this summer.

We want to put in blackberry and blueberry bushes down our one fence row.. Both of my neighbors have cats and I try to feed the birds out front. I am not sure if we will get anything, but hopefully it will work.. My DH will want to put a net around the whole house!

I don't think the birds have found my raspberries yet... if they do, I know I'll lose the rest of that crop, and then I'll know to put up nets the next year!

A friend who has gardened around here for decades told me to order my fruit trees from Stark Bros and order my berries from Miller Nurseries... that worked out fine for us!

I got rapsberries from Park's last year -- they had the varieties I wanted -- but they were really dried little sticks. I got my money back. They grew a little tiny bit but I wouldn't be surprised if some don't make it through the winter. So I wouldn't recommend them, unless you were determined to get particular varieties.

Glen Burnie southern states carried Heritage raspberrries, and I think still will. I have them, they're OK but I'm tempted by the varietes that say 'Very large berries"
Birds have never bothered my raspberries. Maybe they're not nice enough!
I am growing a wild elderberry that appeared, hoping that will compete for the birds attention at blueberriy time.

I got berries the first year with these, and they're mighty yummy, too: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/89208/

Tristar is one recommended by U MD AG

Thank you all so much for helping me...

Happy, there's also a S. States in Upper Marlboro (near the Four Food Groups intersection) that sells plants, statuary, etc. I'm not sure that you ever get over that way though. I go by from time to time, so if you want me to give you a heads up, just say the word.

Oooh, a Southern States field trip! Come spring, I'm going to need lots of stuff!

I have been stopping by on Saturday's to peek at what they have... I will update you if I see anything good. They told me everything would be in next month..

Jenn: I don't even know where Glen Burnie is! I could Mapquest it, of course . . . .

If you know where 3 or 295 is you can get to Glen Burnie. Let's see it is 15 miles from Annapolis, and about 10 minutes from Baltimore.

Oh I live across the street from the airport.. BWI :)

BWI I know; we fly out of there all the time. And my husband has a client up that way so he is up there all the time.

That is Glen Burnie.. If you go down aviation blvd then you have passed the road to my house. :)

You are about 4 miles from Southern States..