Last spring I bought a bundle of these everbearing strawberry seedlings from La Porte Nursery on Lakeshore Drive in North Bay. They keep them in the cooler in case you go looking. I can't remember exactly how much they were but I think I got 20 plants for around $20. Out of these original plants fourteen survived the first season.
This spring they came alive and sent out a lot of runners and now I have over 40+ plants in my new bed!
One plant should produce a liter/quart of strawberries. The fruit on the everbearing strawberry should be smaller than the June berries. My instruction said I should not try to get a crop the first year as you remove the flowers from the plants to make them stronger. The everbearing produce 2-3 harvests of fruit throughout the spring, summer and fall and are said to send out fewer runners than traditional plants. With good weather a single plant can produce up to a liter/quart of berries. This should be a good return on my investment! http://gardening.about.com/od/fruitsberriesnuts/a/Strawberries
Strawberries need about 1 to 2 inches of water a week. I am on a well and usually run my garden on rain water collected off the roof in barrels. I have been carrying water to these plants as it is very dry out and I want them to have a good start. Hopefully I get a pump set up this year to bring water up from the South River. I will mulch them with straw soon too.
I am looking forward to fresh strawberries, my Strawberry Pesto Vinaigrette and Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecake. Click on the recipe title for my recipes.
We have also found out there is a ground hog living under the old chicken coop and guess what? They love strawberries!
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
Visit me at www.chapmanslanding.com
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5 comments:
Nice new bed! Your strawberry recipes sound very good, I will save them for the upcoming season. We made a strawberry short cake recipe from the LCBO magazine a little while ago, it was really go. Here is the recipe on my moms blog: http://canadianbakertoo.blogspot.com/2010/04/summer-berry-shortcake.html
Hi Nancy - I'm on a well too, have a pump set up to draw water from my creek for my lawn/gardens, but there is no water in my creek. My question, did you find any detriment using your cold well water on your gardens in the past? I really don't want to use my well, but it looks like, with the lack of rain, I'll have to use it.
Thanks for the info! I will have to go by Le Port's and pick up some plants. :)
Margie, I don't usually water from my well as there isn't enough water. I can spot water with water cans but that is about it. I use rain water which wasn't a problem last year :) Didn't use rain barrels much as it was so wet. This is my first year I will actually get strawberries (assuming we fend off the ground hog - live trap set).... my neighour has a strawberry farm "for real" and they water from the river. But they may have a more elaborate system that warms the water first as it travels. I am not sure. I am for sure a novice strawberry grower!
Will have to see how this bed does 2011. I got one good harvest but was expecting more. Some suggested not t as the plants had been moved. What is going to be total work this year is that the bed was invaded with burdock. I pulled and pulled when they were little but eventually "let it be." Next year!
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