North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Robert C. Mullins" <mullins@gaelicmysts.com>]

I asked a similar question not too long ago, and I recall someone 
telling me their strawberries do great on the North side.  As an update 
to my own dilema to this question, I was looking over the the 'flower 
bed' up next to the house on the North side, dreading the anticipated 
'cleaning' of it. (there are alot of dead shrubs and I hate digging 
shrubs) and it seems that a wild blackberry has taken up residence 
there.  Not only is it growing but it has scads of ripe fruit on the 
vine.  Looks like I'll be cleaning the bed and leaving the rubus for 
cultivation.  No sense in destroying something productive.

I might add I am in zone 8a.  Hot and Humid summers, and the kind of 
soils that would only make a potter happy.


--
Robert C. Mullins M.S. IT
GaelicMysts, Owner
Clarksville, Ar
Zone 8a
http://wildcraft.gaelicmysts.com


> I'm curious if anyone else has grown strawberries on the north side of 
> their house. This would be a perfect place for me, since it's nothing 
> but grass and lily of the valley right now. But I've got a tall house, 
> and it wouldn't get sun except for a bit in the morning and then very 
> late in the afternoon.
>
> I planted strawberries near my apple and pear trees, thinking that I'd 
> enjoy them until the trees got bigger. They're doing great, but I 
> discovered that I can't work around the fruit trees with the 
> strawberries underfoot. And I have to watch what I spray when the 
> strawberries are blooming. But, I must admit that I'm enjoying them so 
> much that I don't want to get rid of them entirely.
>
> The biggest problem I have with strawberries is trying to keep them 
> watered during our hot, dry summers. So the north side of the house 
> might actually help with that. I just wonder if they'll do well enough 
> here (Nebraska, zone 5) in so much shade. Barbara's suggestion sounds 
> great to me, but has anyone else here tried it? I thought it might be 
> helpful to ask.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
> Lincoln, NE (zone 5)
>
>