North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@uslink.net>]

   I mulch my strawberries when I plant them in either of two ways: 
planting first or mulching first.  Mulching first is the easiest; I plant 
first upon those rare occasions when I don't have sufficient mulch. 
Ideally, I spread 3" to 4" of pine needles and pat them down as I go to get 
them to lay as flat as possible.  Five years ago, I planted Honeyoe and 
Cavandish.  I only got good production from the Honeyoe for four years so I 
tilled them under this past Summer.  The Cavandish continued to perform well 
so I'll be harvesting from then for, at least, a sixth year.  I started some 
Annapolis in Spring 2006.  3" to 4" of pine needle mulch is good for about 
five years of a weed-free strawberry patch; the first few weeds poked 
through this past season.
   And how do I mulch my plants for Winter?  Who mulches?  Not me.  A few 
years back someone convinced me to mulch my strawberry patch and all that 
accomplished was killing too many plants - about half of them rotted before 
I uncovered them.  So I never mulched again and I'm not likely to any time 
soon.  Oh, and that year when we didn't get any snow?  It didn't seem to 
bother them any so why mulch?

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]

Any ideas  on the best time to mulch strawberries?  We've had a strawberry
patch for three years now and never winter mulched.  This year I'm trying to
do things right.  Jim's mentioned he's had good results with pine needles as
mulch so I thought I'd give them a try.  I've been able to acquire bags of
needles but don't know when to put them on.  How much should the plants die
back before I cover them?  (So far the plants' foliage is as green as ever,
we've only had lows of 30F.  And trees are losing their leaves but not fully
dormant.)  Also after covering up the plants, do you have to remove the
mulch in the springtime, or will the strawberry plants push up through the
mulch pack?

Thanks,
Mark Angermayer
Zone 5 Kansas