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Post by barefootfarmer on May 9, 2015 22:54:25 GMT
I'm jumping up and down over here- just ate my first strawberry from my garden this season! Now if only the rest of them would hurry up and ripen- I've got rhubarb half dug out from the weeds and a recipe for pie  |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 0:14:03 GMT
Yummy!
Mine are only just blooming, but I'm also looking forward to them. I have a new kind this year that is supposed to be especially tasty, so I'm doubly excited.
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Post by barefootfarmer on May 10, 2015 0:56:18 GMT
What kind, @gardensmurf? I'm growing Evie 2 for the second season- that's the one that is ripening now. And also San Andreas for a second season. I wanted to go with a french heirloom, but couldn't make enough room for it this year. Maybe next year.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 1:04:09 GMT
 These are the new ones we planted. I can't wait till next year when we can harvest them! |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 1:19:08 GMT
My new kind is called "Waedenswil 6", I think it's a Swiss variety. It's supposed to taste just like Alpine strawberries, but be of regular size.
I can't wait for them to ripen, because I love Alpine strawberries. They are actually a weed here, but I let them grow freely in most areas. Unfortunately, the slugs also like them a lot, so I don't get to harvest many Alpine strawberries.
The Waedenswil kind, though, is protected by a slug fence, so they should be ok.
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Post by barefootfarmer on May 10, 2015 13:57:14 GMT
Pink flowers! I've never seen strawberry plants with anything but white flowers. What variety is that, @dawndra ?
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Post by Weed on May 10, 2015 17:24:57 GMT
Guessing it'll be 2-3 more weeks here...plants all look strong and loaded with berries, should be a bumper crop   |
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Post by claytonpiano on May 10, 2015 17:33:04 GMT
We ate our first one yesterday as well. They are incredibly delicious right off the vine. The grandkids think so as well. I'm thinking they will never make it inside the house.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 17:38:02 GMT
I have had strawberries from the garden for 3 weeks, but I have hoops on them most of the winter to keep the rain off and frost from harming the early buds. It warms the soil early for them to start growing.
On new planted strawberries, mulch them good and pinch off most of the flowers so the plant can build strength to set a lot of buds in Aug-Sept for next year. Strawberries do not like packed soil....James
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2015 20:39:21 GMT
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Post by manygoatsnmore on May 13, 2015 5:44:20 GMT
Those are cool looking berries, dawndra. |
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Post by siletz on May 13, 2015 15:10:34 GMT
Oh the first strawberries of the season are the best aren't they? We've had some for a week or so now. We grow the everbearing Tristar berries so that we can have some throughout the summer and just love their flavor.
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Post by barefootfarmer on May 13, 2015 15:58:30 GMT
I should plant more of those tristars. I haven't had them in a few years. I renovated a strawberry bed when we first moved to the farm. But I hadn't been here long enough to know I transplanted into a flooding area. Lost all the Tristars, Quinalts and a bunch of blueberries that were struggling.
My Evie 2 and the San Andreas are everbearing. I'd say the Evie 2s are a bit more prolific out of the two I'm growing now.
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Post by feather on May 13, 2015 16:21:42 GMT
Oh the first strawberries of the season are the best aren't they? We've had some for a week or so now. We grow the everbearing Tristar berries so that we can have some throughout the summer and just love their flavor. Siletz, we just planted (a few weeks ago) Tristar berries. Did you pinch off blossoms the first year? We are just learning...... |
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Post by greatgreenfarm on May 13, 2015 16:28:21 GMT
Oh the first strawberries of the season are the best aren't they? We've had some for a week or so now. We grow the everbearing Tristar berries so that we can have some throughout the summer and just love their flavor. Siletz, we just planted (a few weeks ago) Tristar berries. Did you pinch off blossoms the first year? We are just learning...... I was wondering about that too as I've planted a new strawberry bed this year as well. |
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Post by barefootfarmer on May 13, 2015 17:25:45 GMT
Last year I started my bed of ever bearing. I did NOT pinch of the blossoms. This year the plants are so big, and just loaded. I know you are supposed to pinch them off, but honestly I never do. Maybe I'd have even more berries if I had, but I can't imagine.
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Post by Weed on May 14, 2015 11:41:22 GMT
Couple thoughts on pinching runners We grow Honeyoyes here, they're a June bearer. I initially planted them in the fall, the following (first) season, I pinched all the runners prior to fruiting and got a bumper crop of berries. After fruiting, I renovated the bed - fertilized (compost) and allowed them to send out runners which were then planted into a few rows (again in the fall) to expand the patch for the following year. Soil here is very fertile and they can get out of control real quick if left to run and tap. I made the mistake of letting them do their thing and wound up with 1000s of plants between rows. Great if you want to expand, but a real job to remove that many plants. Best to maintain spacing and give the plants the space they need to produce and ripen...especially if you're aiming for big berries. I have mine planted thru fabric in double rows, staggered at 1' centers, the system works great...no weeds and huge berries. If you're not looking to expand your patch, here are a few right and wrong pics taken just before Mothers Day   |
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Post by siletz on May 14, 2015 15:31:02 GMT
Oh the first strawberries of the season are the best aren't they? We've had some for a week or so now. We grow the everbearing Tristar berries so that we can have some throughout the summer and just love their flavor. Siletz, we just planted (a few weeks ago) Tristar berries. Did you pinch off blossoms the first year? We are just learning...... I have heard that you are supposed to pinch off the flowers the first season, but we honestly never get around to such things. We have had Tristars for about 5 or 6 years now and each season plant back some of the runners that spill out into the walkway to make sure we are refreshing it with new plants. We absolutely love this variety! They aren't the biggest berries ever, but the flavor is out of this world! |
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Post by feather on May 14, 2015 15:44:22 GMT
Siletz, we picked the tristar for flavor too--the berries are supposed to be medium sized. I'm not a fan of big strawberries, they have less flavor than the smaller ones. I'm looking forward to seeing berries all summer, so exciting!
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Post by Weed on May 14, 2015 18:16:44 GMT
Siletz, we picked the tristar for flavor too--the berries are supposed to be medium sized. I'm not a fan of big strawberries, they have less flavor than the smaller ones. I'm looking forward to seeing berries all summer, so exciting! We get some of the earlier berries that are XL, borderline huge. If picked at peak ripeness, they're every bit as good as the smaller ones. Those huge berries from the supermarket on the other hand, I've never tasted one that was truly good. A recipe for strawberry/spinach salad, if you've never had it...you've been missing out!! They gotta be garden berries though! www.food.com/recipe/delicious-easy-spinach-and-strawberry-salad-with-feta-223683?photo=248646 |
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Post by feather on May 14, 2015 18:20:58 GMT
Hi Weedkicker (I keep reminding myself you are AKA John), yes I've had that salad now for years, love it! Balsamic vinegar dressing and walnuts on it. Very good. |
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Post by barefootfarmer on May 16, 2015 14:55:19 GMT
@weedkicker did you lay out that plastic by hand? It looks great! I have my berries in raised, framed beds but will soon have to move to no framed beds if I want to keep expanding. The framing part gets expensive if you don't already have the materials laying around.
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Post by Weed on May 17, 2015 1:33:51 GMT
@weedkicker did you lay out that plastic by hand? It looks great! I have my berries in raised, framed beds but will soon have to move to no framed beds if I want to keep expanding. The framing part gets expensive if you don't already have the materials laying around. Barefoot, Yes they were laid out by hand but its actually a fabric - not plastic. The stuff is awesome and unlike plastic, it allows water and nutrients to pass thru and lasts a long time. Never had a weed come thru, but occasionally a runner will tap a root thru the top. www.agriculturesolutions.com/products/agricultural-fabrics/landscape-ground-and-weed-fabric/ground-covers/dewitt-sunbelt-woven-ground-cover-3-2oz-3-x-300-detail?gclid=CIPp1PnGx8UCFdcSHwodXbAAVAI planted my first strawberries thru black plastic a few years back...big mistake! After just the 2nd season, the plastic began degrading from UV Rays. After the 3rd season, everything not tucked in...or above grade had gotten brittle, cracked and began blowing away. |
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Post by Weed on May 17, 2015 1:45:56 GMT
The only things in my garden that are framed is the asparagus and horseradish, which was done several years ago using standing deadwood white oak timber that I cut from the woods. At the rate it's breaking down, I'm guessing I'll get another 3-4 years before replacing with more of the same. All natural and free |
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Post by Weed on May 17, 2015 3:54:17 GMT
Found this closeup pic of a freshly planted SB plant thru the fabric. Holes were made by heating up a 2" pipe using the roofing torch...clean with welded edges and won't fray like it would if cut out with a knife  |
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2015 14:08:08 GMT
My strawberry plants are just starting to put our a few flowers. Yay for strawberries!
I have a few different varieties - even some of the ones Dawndra has.
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Post by Weed on May 18, 2015 14:52:13 GMT
We picked our first berries of the season this AM...never made it out of the garden with them though   |
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Post by manygoatsnmore on May 24, 2015 0:28:24 GMT
We picked our first berries of the season this AM...never made it out of the garden with them though What a cute little strawberry picker you have there! My plants are covered with green berries and blooms, but nothing is even close to being ripe yet. Waiting is so hard... <sigh> |
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