Making the Bed

After my strawberry bed succumbed to the weeds, and my original blueberry bed died last summer and the weeds took over that bed as well, it was time to do some serious clearing up.

No more weeds!  Whee!

Starting with this revamped, blank slate, it was time to plant the new strawberry crowns I ordered.  I opted for Honeoye, which grew very well last time (before they were strangled by quack grass and Creeping Charlie) and came back year after year (well, until last year--Year #5--when they'd had enough of the marauding weeds).

The trick to planting crowns is to dig the hole deep enough that the roots can go straight in, not bending up around the sides, and you want to keep the roots as long as possible.  It feels a little silly, as the crowns are so small, but they need to spaced about 12 to 18 inches apart, as they will grow enormously and spread to fill the entire bed.  For my roughly four foot-by-four foot beds, I planted six crowns per bed--which may actually be a little too close.  Adding a nice layer of compost to the planting bed gives the new plants a head start, too.

Not very impressive yet, but it's the start to a new crop of strawberries!

Mulching is important at this stage, as it helps with both weed control and with protecting the delicate crowns from late frosts common in the early spring around these parts.

All tucked under a cozy layer of straw, with any luck my new little strawberry plants will start peeking out with fresh green leaves.  For this summer, I'll pick off any blossoms that appear, so that the plants put all their energy into growing a strong root system and establishing in their new digs.  But next year, watch out:  it will be strawberries all over the place!