Make a Raised Strawberry Bed
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Growing Strawberries in a Raised Bed
A well planned strawberry patch can gives years of pleasure as well as tasty fruit. Putting them in a raised bed, makes it easy to tend the plants and pick the berries. It also overcomes any problems with poor soil and drainage. Here's advice to set up your own raised strawberry patch.
Several of my sisters have raised strawberry beds. One used landscape timbers and another used concrete blocks to construct the raised planting area.
Photo by Virginia Allain
Several of my sisters have raised strawberry beds. One used landscape timbers and another used concrete blocks to construct the raised planting area.
Photo by Virginia Allain
Contents at a Glance
- Choose a Sunny Location for a Strawberry...
- Video with Tips for Planting a Raised St...
- Use Landscape Timbers or Concrete Blocks...
- Shortcut - You Can Buy a Ready-to-Go Rai...
- More Strawberry Topics on Squidoo
- Prepare the Soil for a Raised Strawberry...
- Enrich the Soil
- Chose the Strawberry Plants
- Everbearing Strawberry Plants
Choose a Sunny Location for a Strawberry Patch
Advice from my sister, Cindy
First give thought to placement of the patch. A well drained area is the best. Soggy soil will cause the plants to rot. Partial shade is workable, but not full shade. Strawberries need a fair amount of sun.
For our strawberry patch, I chose the corner area of the yard where the back and side fence meet. Because the ground was hard with a cover of grass, I decided to underlay the raised bed with a barrier of plastic. The black plastic keeps the grass from coming up into the soil above.
For our strawberry patch, I chose the corner area of the yard where the back and side fence meet. Because the ground was hard with a cover of grass, I decided to underlay the raised bed with a barrier of plastic. The black plastic keeps the grass from coming up into the soil above.
Use Landscape Timbers or Concrete Blocks for the Raised Strawberry Bed
The Backyard Strawberry by KaijsaB
Place landscape timbers to outline the patch and hold the plastic in place. The number you need depends how big a strawberry patch you want.
My other sister made her raised strawberry bed using stacked concrete blocks. She got a good deal on these at a yard sale where they were left over from someone's home project.
Shortcut - You Can Buy a Ready-to-Go Raised Bed
Frame It All SBX-GNS 8-Foot x 4-Foot x 6-Inch Raised Garden and Sandbox Kit
Grow strawberries and other fruits or vegetables in this ready-to-use planting bed.
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
More about Raised Beds Frames for Gardening
More Choices of Raised Garden Beds
Available from Amazon
What Are You Thinking to Use for the Raised Strawberry Bed?
One warning: creosote coated railroad ties can cause health problems when used in gardening.
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More Strawberry Topics on Squidoo
Prepare the Soil for a Raised Strawberry Bed
Bring in good, black, top soil and place it over the plastic. Most garden shops or Wal-Mart sell soil in bags or can tell you where you can get it by the truck load. Make sure you fill the soil at least even with the top of the railroad ties. This will allow for settling after the first rain.
You Can Even Order Dirt Online
Garden Soil available from Amazon
There's also a book about improving your garden soil.
Enrich the Soil
More tips from my sister
Cute White Rabbit by alternateworlds
To the soil I added a forty pound bag of cow manure. Rabbit manure is even better and easily transported from a local rabbit grower. Also the rabbit manure can usually be had for a small price if you do your own scooping, bagging, and hauling. An added benefit to the rabbit manure is the fact there will be little or no weed seed and it's high in nitrogen. If you know someone with a pet rabbit, you're in luck. If you don't know anyone, ask around or call the county extension office or 4-H office.
Chose the Strawberry Plants
The type of strawberry you chose to plant will depend on your desired end product. If you hope to eat fresh strawberries from early spring through summer you should purchase everbearing plants. These will have a continuous growth of berries.
If you just plan to make jellies or jams and want a lot at one time, you should buy the spring only variety. They bear more heavily, but are done once the hot weather comes.
Both kinds will winter over and return the next spring.
If you just plan to make jellies or jams and want a lot at one time, you should buy the spring only variety. They bear more heavily, but are done once the hot weather comes.
Both kinds will winter over and return the next spring.
Everbearing Strawberry Plants
to order from Amazon
June Bearing Strawberry Plants
to buy from Amazon
More about Growing Strawberries
- Design Secrets for Yard and Garden: Strawberries Everbearing Growing Tips
- My friend, Susan Golis, is a gardening guru, so I'm sharing the link to her article about raising everbearing strawberries.
Which Kind(s) of Strawberries Are You Planning to Plant?
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Learn about Growing Strawberries and Other Fruit in Your Yard
Book available from Amazon
The Backyard Berry Book: A Hands-On Guide to Growing Berries, Brambles, and Vine Fruit in the Home Garden
Amazon Price: $8.83 (as of 06/03/2012)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Tips for Planting Strawberry Plants
Plant the strawberry with the soil up to, but not over, the center core of the leaves. Planting too deeply will stunt plant growth and may even kill the plant. Keep all receipts from the store. Some stores give a two-year guarantee and will replace the strawberry plant that dies.
Mulching the Strawberry Patch
Mulch around the strawberry plants with good clean straw. It keeps moisture in the soil and weeds at bay. Straw keeps the berries off the ground, so they aren't as likely to attract slugs or to rot.
As your plants grow larger they will also multiply, filling the patch completely over three or four years. As the plants spread save the healthiest and weed out any weak plants. This will help keep your strawberry patch healthy and producing, with little work for years to come.
As your plants grow larger they will also multiply, filling the patch completely over three or four years. As the plants spread save the healthiest and weed out any weak plants. This will help keep your strawberry patch healthy and producing, with little work for years to come.
More about Mulching
Picking the Strawberries
Garden Trug (Basket) to Gather the Strawberries
Available from Amazon
Don't layer the berries very deeply, or they will crush the ones on the bottom.
How Experienced Are You at Gardening?
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Coping with Pests in the Strawberry Patch
Are You a Strawberry Lover?
I LOVE STRAWBERRIES! MOUSEPAD by shirleypoppy
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jordanmilesbasketballstuff
Mar 30, 2012 @ 12:14 pm | delete
- Yummy Strawberry...My favourite...thanks for sharing!
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John Slaughter
Mar 23, 2012 @ 1:37 pm | delete
- I would not use railroad ties to build a garden. They are treated with creasote...a known cancer causing chemical. DO NOT USE THEM!
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knit1tat2
Feb 27, 2012 @ 5:01 pm | delete
- I love strawberries, and many-almost all- other berries!
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hntrssthmpsn
Feb 10, 2012 @ 4:52 pm | delete
- Strawberries are the one berry I've had problems with... which is a bummer, since they're sooo delicious. Perhaps a raised bed is the answer!
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Brite-Ideas
Jan 14, 2012 @ 3:36 pm | delete
- Well, another lens that taught me something I didn't know...love this idea. thanks.
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naturegirl7 Aug 10, 2011 @ 4:50 pm | delete
- Very nice lens. I enjoyed reading it and picked up some tips about growing strawberries. Sprinkled with dust from the Angel of the farmyard on a Back to School Field Trip.
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grandmamarilyn
May 17, 2011 @ 10:54 pm | delete
- I would love to have one of these but we are so arid down here that the ants eat anything that has moisture in it.
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vallain Jun 19, 2011 @ 8:14 am | delete
- Sounds like you need a hanging planter for your strawberry plants. I gardened for 3 years in central Australia and we had shade cloth that we could roll out mid-day to protect our garden from the scorching sun.
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maerysgarden
May 17, 2011 @ 12:37 pm | delete
- I like the idea of using concert blocks to make a raised bed. Nice lens
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WindyWinters
May 15, 2011 @ 3:37 am | delete
- We have a raised strawberry bed at the side of our house. It has partial shade in the afternoon and does well when it's a hot summer.
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TeamSTM
May 14, 2011 @ 6:00 am | delete
- I to Love Strawberries and I am about to start a new garden! I did't even think about growing Strawberries to the mix until just now and I will have Plenty of space for them!! But now I can create a Unique area just for them, thanks vallain!!
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nancycarol May 13, 2011 @ 8:06 pm | delete
- If I still gardened, I'd be sure to use the information in this lens because my family loves strawberries. Excellent as usual, Virginia. Hope your sister sees the wisdom in writing on Squidoo quicker than I did.
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darciefrench
May 13, 2011 @ 6:44 pm | delete
- I might have strawberries on the patio, not sure what I'll plant yet as its the first time I'll be doing a 'patio garden'. I love fresh strawberries to eat .. -:)
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annmackiemiller May 13, 2011 @ 8:26 am | delete
- look good enough to eat Virginia - I have strawberry plants in hanging baskets, works really well. Angel blessed and featured on my Angel blessed in May lens. (whispers - pssst - you have an empty new link list - but I won't tell anyone.) :0)
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Let No One Go Hungry
The Food For Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience.
This Web Page Has Been Blessed by a Squidoo Angel
Created by Virginia Allain for CJ Ross
by vallain
I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and designing books to self-publish. Having fun!
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