My strawberry venture has been an interesting one this year to be sure. First, I started out and killed the initial 8 strawberry plants…$32 down the drain! But I learned not to trust others when it came to my food. Or rather, I learned to trust my own judgement and to do things right no matter what. In case you don’t remember…the compost I used initially was still really chemically hot with nitrogen. It burned the roots of all my new plants.

After having watered the boxes several times a day for multiple days I bought 6 new plants and went at it again. Success!!

Then expanded the patch with “daughter” plants and more boxes, then expanded it again with the mega box. But finally, it was time to put the plants to bed for the winter. I do this to prevent damage to the plants themselves during the cold and freezing months of winter. Fortunately we don’t have severe winter weather here so I can let the plants go till late November and still get growth out of them.

Granted, this is the first year doing so here on the glamstead so we will have to wait till spring to see how it worked out. But, it should work out fine since I did my research for this particular area…including speaking with experienced gardeners. And if you want to ensure success for your patch in your area…check with the locals as well…you will be very glad you did.

First thing I do is clear out any dry, brown, or diseased looking leaves and stems. I smooth out the mulch and then water the plants/boxes thoroughly.

Next comes at least 3″ of straw on and around the plants.

And yet another reason to not fill the box up to the top with dirt…leave room for things like mulch and winter straw. Now, nothing left to do till spring 🙂

Oh, final tally on the patch…6 plants have turned into 42 plants. The mega box has plenty of room to expand the existing 12 plants with 12 more “daughter” plants at the end of next growing season. Giving me a total of 54 plants from 6 starter plants. Not bad math if you ask me.

Yup, I will keep you posted on how things go in the spring.

And yes, I will still be doing more gardening work during the winter. I am getting ready to plant 15 raspberry plants/canes in January. A neighbor/friend of ours offered for us to dig up some of his seasonal runners. Sweet! I will post and article on that “bare root” planting project as well.

And yes, you should be thinking about raspberry and blackberry planting for this winter as well. I am telling you flat out…get your food production capability to a point where it will at least be a reasonable supplement to your family’s overall food consumption. You will be healthier, you will save money, and you will be preparing your skill-set for when you might well need gardening to keep your families bellies full and alive.

And along with way…you will feel a true sense of peace and calm that comes with tending a garden and watching yourself take part in life…real life.

Related Articles –

• GARDEN: Strawberry Patch 2022 Fall Update
• GARDEN: Our Strawberry Patch – Fall
• Garden: Hail and Starvation
• Garden: Let’s Talk a Minute…
• Glenn Beck, Destination, Prepping, & Gardening

 2009 - 2022 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content 
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
See Content Use Policy for more information.