Strawberries - permie/companion planting

[flowerbug]

nothing or very minimal stalky plants until after the first strawberry crop is done, then plant beans and peas as a cover crop to provide some shade during the middle of the summer and through the hotter time of the season, then after that chop 'em and use as compost/mulch.

i used beans in the center of a strawberry patch which were planted before the strawberries ran very far and that worked to keep most of the runners from growing inwards that season. i got about 40lbs of soybeans from the center planting.

strawberries are woodland/edge plant which like a lot of organic material and enough moisture that their roots don't get too dry.

they also need to be renovated every few years or they don't produce as well.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

What would you tuck in there?

I dunno - but I love the round bed!

 

[rodeogirl]

What side is the round bed

 

[tortoise]

Size? Probably 4 or 5 foot diameter. It's a kiddie pool! DH shot holes in the bottom. I was doing okay poking holes with a nail, but it was tedious and DH wanted to have some fun. It retains just the right amount of moisture and has ended up to be very nice garden. The plastic edge exposed to sunlight was breaking down, so I cut it off and added the leftover landscape block this year.

 

[tortoise]

Internet articles say:

Don't plant strawberries with
Brassica family
Nightshade family
Rose
Mint
Chrysanthemum
Melon

Do plant with
Thyme
Onion
Asparagus
Lettuce and Spinach
Catnip
Borage
Basil
Marigold



Companion planting lists are so overwhelming!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's a kiddie pool!

What a great idea! I love it...I need to learn to think outside the box!

DH shot holes in the bottom.

That made me laugh right out loud! But, hey.... sounds like it worked out well!

You could plant lupin in the center and strawberries around it that would brake up the height and add more color

Good suggestion!

 

[lcertuche]

Strawberries are good. I could never have too much onion so I would probably leave it. Have you thought about adding a large pot in the center for a tiered look or a birdbath. What a beautiful design feature you used to repurpose the pool. We actually have a pool too. I couldn't make it into a permanent feature because we rent but I could use it for a planting bed. Thank's for sharing with us. Kudos!

 

[Mini Horses]

I'd leave the onions, some pest control there & they take little ground area. The strawberries will quickly fill out & cover that area. Personally, I'd let them. Maybe something tall in center for contrast. But, most strawberries are lovely plants. I hope they are an everbearing type so that you have some bloom and fruit over the entire summer. Looks good.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

In Florida, strawberries are treated as an annual crop, and they are interplanted with Vidalia onions. Both grow amazingly well. By the time the strawberries are done, the onions weigh about 2# each. As for Lupine, it is a nitrogen fixer. We recently tore out a flower bed that was full of lupine. You should have seen that fantastic soil left behind! Lupine would be fantastic in the middle of that strawberry bed. Knowing that it's a nitrogen fixer, as well as an attractant for bees, I may stick some in the orchard.

 

[Daisy]

I got some alpine strawberry seeds to try as well. I found out, quite accidently, that the strawberries I already had in pots seem to like growing with sunflowers. The plants under the sunflowers are going better than the ones without that cover., I get a little feed of strawberries most mornings - only small but enough for me for a snack