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["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Best method I've seen to deal with renewing the bed without losing production is to leave wide aisles between rows.  When the plants produce runners, they are trained into the open areas, and the old row is tilled out at the end of the season.  The new row comes into bearing the next year with no loss of time.  Just be sure to keep the compost coming, to keep the soil in good shape.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Jul 2, 2005, at 8:06 AM, loneroc wrote:

<x-tad-bigger>And speaking of strawberries.  When I renew a bed after several years and too many perennial weeds, I dig the whole bed up in the spring and replant strong, dormant plants at an appropriate distance apart.  I can never keep up with runners---there's always too much to do.  So, my beds are also chock full o' berry plants.</x-tad-bigger>
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<x-tad-bigger>The problem with this method is that you lose a year of production.</x-tad-bigger>
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<x-tad-bigger>I am considering mowing the foliage of one of my beds and then digging everything out a few days later, preparing the bed with new organic matter, and then replanting the plants.  naturally these will be kept moist while out of the ground for a couple hours.</x-tad-bigger>
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<x-tad-bigger>Am I going to get regrowth and runner production this year yet?  It would be great not to lose a year of production.  I've got so many things in the yard that I don't have room any more to just dig a new bed.</x-tad-bigger>
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