Strawberries

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by lesleyl, May 21, 2009.

  1. lesleyl

    lesleyl Apprentice Gardener

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    Can someone suggest a cheap way of protecting strawberries and stopping weeds. With the recent rain the weeds have gone mad and I only have a very limited time to spend on my allotment. I have seen mats you can buy and just wondered if there is something home made I can do, just want to make my life easier?
     
  2. Adam Moran

    Adam Moran Gardener

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    I went and brought some cheap black plastic from our allotment shop (18pence a meter) and used that.
     
  3. Adam Moran

    Adam Moran Gardener

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  4. Sussexgardener

    Sussexgardener Gardener

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    You can use straw too, if you have access to some!
     
  5. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    The only drawback I can see with plastic sheet is that the rain will run off it. So you would have to keep watering - a landscape membrane might be better in that respect (although its going up in price).

    I use my fresh lawn cuttings around some of my veg as a really thick mulch and weed suppresant. It seems to work OK - I've done this on strawberries in the past OK - it also helps keep the fruit off the ground.

    You wil need to put nets over them when the fruit apear to stop the birds nicking them.
     
  6. Makka-Bakka

    Makka-Bakka Gardener

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    Hi!
    I tried this method once, after reading about it in a gardening book.

    When I lifted the poly,i had masses of slugs and leatherjackets but not a lot of strawbewrries.

    I have not tried it since!

    cheers
     
  7. lesleyl

    lesleyl Apprentice Gardener

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    Thank you for all your replies, I have got some very useful tips
     
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