North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

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

   When I planted my strawberry bed, five years ago (2002), they were 
planted in 4" of pine needles.  It took until this year (2007) for the first 
weeds to appear, now that many of the pine needles have rotted.  If I hadn't 
been so busy, I would have started adding more needles when I mowed the 
plants every August and I wouldn't have this weed problem.  Oh well, I'll 
pull weeds in 2008 and (hopefully) add more needles.  By the way, the fruit 
I picked this year was just as huge as any other year (I fertilize them 
every year with whatever the soils lab recommends) and total poundage has 
been nearly identical each year since 2003.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]

Lon J. Rombough wrote:
  Leave a strawberry for two years and it will usually have been
crowded out by weeds or will die from disease.
=================================

Mine didn't die out or get crowded by weeds, but I didn't manage to
keep them organized.  I planted several kinds of strawberries a fair
distance apart, but over the years they put out runners which put out
more runners and on and on until they got all mixed up.

Lon is quite right about strawberries needing care to keep
identified.  I now have an allotment plot, and I planted only one kind
of strawberry on it.

Diane Whitehead