Market Farming

[Lucy Owsley <boulderbelt AT embarqmail.com>]

I use row cover to protect my berries, though I do everbearing plants which are on landscape fabric mulch. But in the 10+ years i have grown such berries I have never lost any to frost as long as they had row cover protection (or better, a hoophouse which allows the berries to flower and set fruit about 6 to 8 weeks early). When I did June bearing I would use wheat straw as they was there was around here that was certified organic and did not lose plants to smothering. But after a few years of using straw we went over to row cover axs it works better and is easier to use than straw, though it does nothing for the soil.

On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 12:56 PM, <grizzdover AT gmail.com> wrote:

On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 11:54 AM, <grizzdover AT gmail.com> wrote:

Hello All,

With this "entertaining" growing season it has been hard for me to find a source for Oat straw to mulch my strawberries and garlic.  I have been able to find a source of wheat straw, but have no personal experience using it and have "heard" that it compacts down too much (thus smothering the overwintering strawberry plants).  Anyone have experience using wheat straw as a mulch on strawberries (or any overwintered crop for that matter)?  I can get enough oat straw to cover about a third of my strawberry crop and could do the rest in wheat, but after losing all my CSA's strawberries this season to early frosts, not sure if I want to experiment : ).

-- 
Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
Eaton, OH
http://www.boulderbeltfarm.com
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