Back in July, when my strawberries were done bearing, as usual I mowed
them and applied a helping of ammonium nitrate. This year was different,
though, because the pine needle mulch that was applied six years ago had all
rotted away and weeds were starting to emerge. To counter that, I shredded
a pile of tree branches and covered the strawberry beds with 3" of wood
chips. Visitors to the garden exclaimed, "Oh, you killed your
strawberries." They stopped saying that when the leaves emerged and now,
two months later, the strawberry beds look normal again.
Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]
[NAFEX] No-weed Strawberry Patch,
Jim Fruth, 09/30/2008