Questions about strawberries... Bare roots?

[OkChickens]

We have decided to start raising strawberries on our small farm and we are planning to plant between 100-200 strawberry plants. I was planning on getting the cardinal variety but I have decided to buy Chandler instead! What type of soil is best? Loamy? I have found a local farm a little over an hour away that sells them for a great price! What I am just wondering is do bare root plants or potted plants grow better? The farm I have found sells 100 bare root plants for $24 and the local nursery sells potted plants for 6 plants for $4. I am really leaning towards the bare root but I just dont know enough about them? Let me know what yall think! Thanks!

Nate

 

[journey11]

The bare root plants will be A-ok. That's what I always get. You want to plant them quickly when you get them and don't let them dry out for best results. Loam/sandy loam is preferable. Clay is hard on strawberries. They don't like to get their feet soaking wet. That would cause more disease problems too. You need soil that drains well. If you can find "Successful Berry Growing" by Gene Logsdon, that's a very informative book with a big section on strawberries. Try your local library or Amazon has it.

 

[OkChickens]

Well I own a landscaping company and we use sandy loam in most of our jobs. It is usually available. We are going to try using gutters to plant them in. Should I ad miracle grow garden mix into the sandy loam? I am planning on using guttering for some of them. How many plants would you recommend to be able to sell to a farmers market. There is very little fruit at our market. Thanks you,

Nate

 

[nelson castro]

Theres one unique trick to planting bare-root plants: As usual, dig a hole at least twice the width of the root mass. But rather than simply setting the plant in the hole and backfilling, first build a cone-shaped mound in the center of the hole. Position the plant over the mound so that the roots cascade around the mound. Next, backfill as usual, staking if necessary.

 

[so lucky]

Theres one unique trick to planting bare-root plants: As usual, dig a hole at least twice the width of the root mass. But rather than simply setting the plant in the hole and backfilling, first build a cone-shaped mound in the center of the hole. Position the plant over the mound so that the roots cascade around the mound. Next, backfill as usual, staking if necessary.

Yeah, but.....when you are on old creaky knees in the mud with a 30 mph north wind blowing up the back of your jacket, what you do is swipe out a hole in the dirt, slam a strawberry plant in and slap some dirt on top. Move over slightly and repeat, ad nauseam.

 

[dickiebird]

Exactly right lucky!!!

THANX RICH

 

[journey11]

Well I own a landscaping company and we use sandy loam in most of our jobs. It is usually available. We are going to try using gutters to plant them in. Should I ad miracle grow garden mix into the sandy loam? I am planning on using guttering for some of them. How many plants would you recommend to be able to sell to a farmers market. There is very little fruit at our market. Thanks you,

Nate

Well, that depends on how much picking you want to do. I put in 50 Sparkle a couple years ago and got 11 gallons of berries on the second season (from the runners) and I got tired of picking after awhile and turned the patch over to my neighbor. Since you're doing gutters though, that's going to work differently. June-bearers are traditionally managed in rows, tilling under the original plants each spring and getting your harvest off of the previous year's runners...OR....fall planting and harvesting the following May/June. I've not done them in gutters, so I can't really say, but I don't think they'd overwinter well in a gutter since they don't like freezing and thawing (it heaves out the roots). So you'd be looking at a first season crop then, I guess. I am just wondering how well they will bear for you on a spring planting with that method, with Chandler being a June-bearer and all. I know gutters/container plantings are good for ever-bearers though, which bear off of the mother plants. I'm not saying it can't be done, just not sure what it would take or how it would turn out.

I use compost and composted manure to feed my berries. But since you are doing gutters, Miracle Gro would be a good option too.

 

[MontyJ]

Theres one unique trick to planting bare-root plants: As usual, dig a hole at least twice the width of the root mass. But rather than simply setting the plant in the hole and backfilling, first build a cone-shaped mound in the center of the hole. Position the plant over the mound so that the roots cascade around the mound. Next, backfill as usual, staking if necessary.

Yeah, but.....when you are on old creaky knees in the mud with a 30 mph north wind blowing up the back of your jacket, what you do is swipe out a hole in the dirt, slam a strawberry plant in and slap some dirt on top. Move over slightly and repeat, ad nauseam.

 

[OkChickens]

Well I own a landscaping company and we use sandy loam in most of our jobs. It is usually available. We are going to try using gutters to plant them in. Should I ad miracle grow garden mix into the sandy loam? I am planning on using guttering for some of them. How many plants would you recommend to be able to sell to a farmers market. There is very little fruit at our market. Thanks you,

Nate

Well, that depends on how much picking you want to do. I put in 50 Sparkle a couple years ago and got 11 gallons of berries on the second season (from the runners) and I got tired of picking after awhile and turned the patch over to my neighbor. Since you're doing gutters though, that's going to work differently. June-bearers are traditionally managed in rows, tilling under the original plants each spring and getting your harvest off of the previous year's runners...OR....fall planting and harvesting the following May/June. I've not done them in gutters, so I can't really say, but I don't think they'd overwinter well in a gutter since they don't like freezing and thawing (it heaves out the roots). So you'd be looking at a first season crop then, I guess. I am just wondering how well they will bear for you on a spring planting with that method, with Chandler being a June-bearer and all. I know gutters/container plantings are good for ever-bearers though, which bear off of the mother plants. I'm not saying it can't be done, just not sure what it would take or how it would turn out.

I use compost and composted manure to feed my berries. But since you are doing gutters, Miracle Gro would be a good option too.

What about if tried some in a gutter and some in upside down pallets? I might be moving next year and I really don't want to pick or dig out 100-200 strawberry plants you know? Do you all like ever betters or June Bering plants? Thanks

Nate

 

[so lucky]

I have had everbearing and not been pleased. I planted June bearing this spring, hoping to bet a bigger crop at once. I think it is the June bearing, too, that puts out runners, so you won't have to keep buying in future years.
You have figured out that buying bare-root is much cheaper than buying potted plants. I saw last year that businesses selling Bonnie plants had their strawberries in 4" pots, selling for something like $4 each. Yikes!