North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["del stubbs" <pinewoodel@hotmail.com>]

Tom, I'm intrigued with this idea(below) for "raised bed" strawberries. 
There are lots of round bales cut here (our dairy farmer neighbor cuts about 
60  4' by 5' bales off our south field each summer). But I'm thinking of 
getting one of the abandoned one or two year old bales loaded up and dropped 
off, if it will hold together. Might have to wire it up first. Plastic wrap 
isnt used here, but I would think one would want the rain on it anyway, 
unless one lives in a dry climate.
One problem, the berries would have to be renamed 'hayberies'.

Wild strawberries.     Last year for an experiment I tansplanted some of our 
abundant wild strawberries into our rich garden soil, yesterday I picked the 
first batch, what an explosion of flavor! They were at least 50% bigger than 
the field ones.
If I recall corectly, in strawberries the flavor capsules are a finite 
number and size, so 2" strawberries have the same actual quantity of flavor 
as a wild 1/2" one, just diluted. Any corroboration on this? If correct, is 
it true of other berries as well?

Wild blackberries.      Nearby is a patch in the exact opposite enviroment 
as our garden (sandy, acid, shaded). They are sparse and tiny. So last 
spring I transplanted a half dozen into our rich sunny garden soil just to 
see. The plants are not vigorous and still look yellowy. One has just set a 
very heavy bloom. I'm encouraged. All my efforts with Illini hardy and a 
thornless are proving not very doable here in zone 2/3.  May have a dozen 
each of plants to get rid of come dormancy.   Mn. Del


>From: Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>
>Collect and old, large, round bale of hay, and push it over on it's side.
>Dig some holes into the sides ant top of it, add some soil, and plant
>strawberries into the sides, and top of the bale.  It should look like huge 
>mound of plants when done.


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