permaculture

["Kevin Topek" <ktopek@houston.rr.com>]

I find that mulching with straw or dry feed hay around strawberries
discourages sow bugs. They like composting, moist mulch, but the dry
material is not to their liking. If you mulch with straw over the
decomposing mulch just prior to strawberry fruiting you get the maximum
benefit of the material for the longest time. It stays dry and does not
begin to break down for a couple of months. It also keeps the berries dry
and free of dirt. I think this is where the term straw-berry came from.

Kevin

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa in Oregon" <lisamaciver8@yahoo.com>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 11:13 AM
Subject: RE: [permaculture] Sow bugs eating the strawberries


> I have a cordless vac I use mostly for earwigs, which are devastating
> here for this few months in spring.  I get the occasional sowbug and
> slug with it, too... going out at night with one might be a way to
> quickly reduce populations.  I really only have sowbug problems inside
> wall-o-waters or with plants that are right on the ground, like
> emerging bean seedlings.  Maybe humidity/darkness/air circulation.
>
> You might read Steve Soloman's "Growing Vegetables West of the
> Cascades." He specifically says mulch is the problem as in our climate
> it allows buildup of earwigs and sowbugs; recommends not mulching, or
> removing and composting mulch in early spring and reapplying fresh
> mulch later.  I haven't been able to not mulch, though.
>
> Lisa in Ashland Oregon
>
>
>
>
>
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