Market Farming

[KAKerby AT aol.com]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.  Nothing like believing something to be the case, only to find out it ain't.  I knew our winters were mild by comparison with others, but I thought oats had stronger winter hardiness than they do.

 

It's also been interesting to read the strategies to protect strawberries; that has been helpful.  We've slowly but surely been expanding our strawberry area for the last few years, from household-garden size to more of a production size.  I've usually just mulched it and been done.  But I really like the idea of hoophouses that bring on the blossoms a month earlier.  Particularly in our typically cold, damp springs, that could really make a nice difference.

 

Of course this year we haven't had a decent amount of rain since early July, so all bets are off for what the winter/spring holds.  Sorta spooky to have warm, dry, mild days, day after day after day, for weeks on end.  Us mossy PNW'ers are wondering where the rain went.

Kathryn Kerby

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA

 

In a message dated 10/7/2012 6:59:48 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, wshoemak AT illinois.edu writes:

I don't think oats will overwinter anywhere in Illinois in a normal winter. I'm not sure what temp they kill at, but even southern Illinois will reach temps colder than 10F in an average year.

 

Bill

William H. Shoemaker,

Northern Illinois Viticulturist - IGGVA

Illinois Grape Growers and Vinters Association

wshoemak AT illinois.edu

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From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of KAKerby AT aol.com [KAKerby AT aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 2:01 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Oat Straw vs. Wheat Straw to mulch strawberries

Your oats winterkill?  I thought they were considered a good overwintering crop for even northern areas.  Most of my grain books encourage folks to plant oats in the fall as often as possible, and spring plantings are considered inferior.  I'd be curious to know if your area is different for some reason. 

Kathryn Kerby

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA

 

In a message dated 10/6/2012 11:53:12 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, artisanfarms AT gmail.com writes:

The problem I had with wheat straw is that any wheat left in the straw which germinates will overwinter.  With oat straw, all of the plants winter kill.  The one year I used wheat straw, I had to do a lot of weeding in the spring to get the wheat out. 

Andy

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From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of grizzdover AT gmail.com
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 12:56 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Oat Straw vs. Wheat Straw to mulch strawberries

 

 

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 : ).

Have a great weekend,

Ben Saunders
Turtle Farm
Certified Organic Fruits, Veggies and Herbs
Granger, Iowa
www.turtle-farm.com

 

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