How to deal with frozen strawberries

[SolarAndWood]

Have you seen any drop off or is it too soon to tell this year? We started with 100 plants last year in two 100' by 42" wide beds bordered by my tractor prints that are about a foot wide that I wood mulch. We also did the pinch thing year 1. This year, we have given up controlling them on three sides and just try to control them on the fourth side so that they don't overrun the rest of the garden. You can't even tell that there is a row of wood mulch between the two beds or around the edge. So, we end up with 12'x100' of mayhem and the critters are enjoying what makes it through the fence on the three sides. Your raised beds must be a huge advantage when it comes to control.

So, I'm thinking that I will transplant 100 plants into the bottom of the upper terrace year 3 to start the process over. Then, after production dies off, till the bottom of the lower terrace under and plant some kind of cover crop to build up the soil. I may eventually convert to raised beds but the tiller on the back of the tractor makes quick work of cleanup in the fall, prep in the spring and the subsoiler does a nice job of breaking up the clay/glacial till we are so blessed with.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I didn't really think about the production drop off... mine put out so many runners that it's crazy, so I'll transplant those out fresh.

Good stuff!

 

[timfromohio]

We have not noticed any drop-off in production this year - it's their second year of producing fruit and I'm hoping next year will be about the same. We are starting to transplant runners to other areas around the property though - too hard to do anything in the raised beds themselves as far as controlling runners, taking out older plants, etc. - we started with 75 plants, 25 per bed, and the beds are incredibly dense with plants at this point. We're trying to do everything "by the book" with the plants we have - I cut all the plants back in the Fall and cover the three beds with a thick layer of straw after a couple of hard frosts. They have been very healthy and prolific since we've put them in - I believe we originally purchased them from Nourse Farms. The one problem we have run into this year has been slugs - we have noticed a few berries with slugs on them enjoying the berries. We have a container with beer buried flush in the bed and that has gotten quite a few slugs and any toads I see at night get scooped up and placed in the garden area.

Unrelated question - what model Kubota do you have? I'm seriously considering a small, 4wd, diesel tractor. I use a BCS walk-behind tractor for tilling, but could easily justify a small tractor for (1) snow-duty in the winter, (2) moving compost/dirt around (would need bucket on the front), and (3) using a bottom plow. Would ~30hp be sufficient?

 

[SolarAndWood]

It is an early 80s 4wd 29hp at the PTO Ford. The last one was a 2wd 25hp Kubota which was a great machine but nearly worthless for pushing snow. 4WD makes a big difference in the small machines when you have any kind of weight in the loader. 30hp is more than enough for rototilling, subsoiling, grading, raking, pushing dirt around, etc. However, I think it is a little big for mowing unless you have a wide open lawn.

 

[SolarAndWood]

We are starting to transplant runners to other areas around the property though - too hard to do anything in the raised beds themselves as far as controlling runners, taking out older plants, etc. - we started with 75 plants, 25 per bed, and the beds are incredibly dense with plants at this point.

It is amazing how fast they fill in and how dense they get. I think we will do the transplant thing as well and till them under when the time comes.

 

[timfromohio]

Thanks for the tractor advice - I had thought I remembered a picture you posted with an orange tractor and assumed Kubota. I figured 4wd was key, especially for snow duty! My grandfather had an early 80's Ford 1520 - I wish I had it now.

Regarding the strawberries - my wife made 18 jars of jam yesterday and will probably do the same again tomorrow! I love strawberry season.

I'm not sure how you trim yours back, but since mine are in raised beds I found it easy to use electric hedge clippers.

 

[SolarAndWood]

This is the Kubota. It was fine for pulling the 6' finish mower and the rototiller. Just didn't push that well. That 1520 would probably be perfect especially with a 6' belly mower on it. My 1910 is just a bit big for the acre I cut given all the trimming.

What's the deal with trimming the strawberries? How far down do you cut them and when do you do it? Any reason other than raised beds not to run a mower over them?

 

[timfromohio]

Other folks I know use a mower, it just won't work in our raised beds. Last year I started to clip by hand and completed one bed before my "ah-ha" momement. The hedge clippers worked great. The plants were probably 4" to 5" in height, not nearly as low as one could cut them with a mower. I should try to cut them shorter this year. I think I cut them back sometime in the beginning of the Fall when the nights started to get cool.

Nice tractor! Pushing is key as we have a pretty long driveway and I have a 2wd truck (without a limited slip differential - 1 spinning wheel to work with in NEOhio isn't much ....). I'd count on the tractor to successfully make short work of the driveway. So you think something around the size of a 1520 would pull a sub-soiler type plow? This sort of implement would really help break up our clay-rich soil.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Mowing lawn is probably the determining factor. If you are happy with whatever you are mowing with and you don't mind owning two machines, you will prefer a bigger machine for loader and soil work. After I get my property done and go into maintenance mode, I will probably move to a single machine the size of the 1520. Until then, I wouldn't want anything smaller than what I have for the loader work and box blading.

 

[SolarAndWood]

This evening's pick.