Strawberry Bed Advice

[Broke Down Ranch]

OK I am having the opportunity to grow some Marshall strawberries. These originated in the Pacific Northwest and are considered an endangered species. I reallyreallyreallyreallyREALLY want to grow these right. Which will be a challenge considering the difference in climates. I am thinking to plant them in an area where they will get all the morning sun until about 2 at which time the bed will mostly be in shadows. Also possibly implementing a misting system on a timer so about every 1-2 hours during the afternoon the strawberries get a brief (45 second -1 minute) spray. I think this will help keep their temps lowered and moderately humid.

What should I do for the soil?? What combo would be the best?? Peat Moss? Potting soil? Perlite, vermiculite? Is there something I can work into the soil to help prevent diseases?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[journey11]

My best advice for strawberries is to have your soil prepared well in advance. I plant in the spring...having worked the soil no later than the previous fall. If you have a spot you've been gardening on for years, that would even be better than starting a new patch. However, if you've had a lot of disease problems on that spot, then you're better off starting new.

The big thing is that you have no crab grass, quack grass or any other pervasive periennial weed in the patch. I lived in Killeen for a few years, so I remember that grass with the evil, spikey, horrendously painful burrs, although I can't recall it's name.

You need very sandy, deep, well drained soil for strawberries. Feed it well with lots and lots of compost and work in a little lime. Strawberries will do better on natural nutrients than pelletized fertilizer. Manure is good, but compost is better, IMO.

I am not sure with your Pacific NW variety what accomodations you'd have to make in TX. I know the sun is relentless in the summer. Usually strawberries prefer full sun, but I would expect TX sun would be too much for those. Drip irrigation is a good idea of course.

A clean mulch like straw would help keep back disease problems. And as bad as I hate to, there is no way around spraying for bugs. They like strawberries as much as we do, and they'll carry in disease too. You can feed your berries/build up your soil with strawy horse manure too (don't touch the plants).

BTW--Are these plants June-bearers or Everbearers?? An Everbearer will also do well in a raised bed/strawberry pyramid. June-bearers are easier to manage on the ground (so you can till/manage rows).

The most helpful book I'd read on strawberries was "Successful Berry Growing" by Gene Logsdon. He goes very in depth on strawberries. If you can find it, it will help you much. Good luck!

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Ok, I have some decent dirt where my onions were planted. Pretty sandy-dusty. I have tilled the heck out of it and added lots of good billy-goat poo (mucked out from a friend's billy shed). Should I also add some sort of soil loosener? Like Perilite or vermiculite? Would a raised bed be better or just plant them straight in the ground? These are June-bearers....