Strawberry Patch

[Mike]

Just wanted to share a picture of this strawberry. It's really several but they all grew together into one lump. My 17 year old son was super excited about this thing.

Can't wait to get this thing, and all the others, into a batch of strawberry jam (hopefully next weekend).

 

[Meadowlark]

Nice! I like strawberries but very high maintenance here.

 

[Mike]

Nice! I like strawberries but very high maintenance here.

Yeah, they've been quite a bit of work. It's been my youngster's project since last year. He planted these things last year then went out every day picking off every bloom, to promote better root growth in the first year. This year, it seems to have paid off because they're absolutely loaded with fruit!

 

[Zigs]

They do that sometimes Mike

Just picking our first ones of the year, I potted up some that were still flowering in October and put them in the new tunnel, they've come on quicker than the ones in the netted tunnel.

 

[Mike]

They do that sometimes Mike

Just picking our first ones of the year, I potted up some that were still flowering in October and put them in the new tunnel, they've come on quicker than the ones in the netted tunnel.

Nice! Those are some good lookin' strawberries. Do you eat them all, or do you also make jelly/jam from some?

 

[Logan]

Mike that looks good, i hope that you have enough strawberries for your jam.

 

[Mike]

Mike that looks good, i hope that you have enough strawberries for your jam.

Thank you! We almost have enough already. I'm betting one more week of harvesting and we'll be there. So, the hope is that by next weekend we'll be getting the canning tote out of the shed.

 

[Logan]

You are welcome

 

[Zigs]

Nice! Those are some good lookin' strawberries. Do you eat them all, or do you also make jelly/jam from some?

Ta Mike Tetters freezes them when we've got enough but we mainly just eat them for pudding. We'll have Blackcurrants and Redcurrants from the netted tunnel later in the year, plus a few Gooseberries. I'll take a pic of that tunnel tomorrow but here's some more potted up ones in the small polytunnel

Keeping the tray flooded keeps the slugs and ants off them.

 

[Zigs]

As promised, the fruit tunnel this morning...



Strawberries and 3 Gooseberries that I'm training into Y shaped cordons on the West side. Black and Red Currants on the East.




The currants are mulched with hay left over from cutting the fields.



At the back of the tunnel we have a small collection of ferns as it's a good shady place for them.



I also mulch the strawberries with the leafmold that doesn't make it through the sieve, but that's for a different thread

 

[Mr_Yan]

As promised, the fruit tunnel this morning...

Oooooo, I want.

 

[Zigs]

Oooooo, I want.

We bought the hoops for the tunnel from a nursery that was closing down, we made the cactus shop tunnel first.



Then the fruit cage, and finally a small tunnel to put a few tomatoes in

 

[Mr_Yan]

For the current iteration is the main intention pest management (birds most likely) or for climate protection / season extension?

 

[Mike]

As promised, the fruit tunnel this morning...

This is great! I e gotta get one of these, especially for starting seeds early in the year.

 

[Logan]

That looks great Zigs, from experience the birds like the currants, especially the black birds and sparrows. I can't protect mine like Zigs so i just have to share them.

 

[Mike]

Just as suspected, after yesterday's harvest we have enough to make a batch of strawberry jam!

Been a long time since I've had any homemade jam, of any kind, so this will be a nice treat, whenever we get a chance to get it made.

we mainly just eat them for pudding

I've never even heard of making pudding from strawberries. In fact, I've never even heard of strawberry pudding at all. Had to look it up to see what it is. Is this something that's popular in England? It might be popular in other parts of the US, but definitely not around here where I'm at.

That said, I'd love to try it if you wanna share your recipe.

 

[Tetters]

Just as suspected, after yesterday's harvest we have enough to make a batch of strawberry jam!

Been a long time since I've had any homemade jam, of any kind, so this will be a nice treat, whenever we get a chance to get it made.



I've never even heard of making pudding from strawberries. In fact, I've never even heard of strawberry pudding at all. Had to look it up to see what it is. Is this something that's popular in England? It might be popular in other parts of the US, but definitely not around here where I'm at.

That said, I'd love to try it if you wanna share your recipe.

Maybe we should have a recipe thread

 

[Logan]

It's nice to have strawberries and rhubarb pie.

 

[Zigs]

Just as suspected, after yesterday's harvest we have enough to make a batch of strawberry jam!

Been a long time since I've had any homemade jam, of any kind, so this will be a nice treat, whenever we get a chance to get it made.



I've never even heard of making pudding from strawberries. In fact, I've never even heard of strawberry pudding at all. Had to look it up to see what it is. Is this something that's popular in England? It might be popular in other parts of the US, but definitely not around here where I'm at.

That said, I'd love to try it if you wanna share your recipe.

Pudding is English for anything sweet eaten after the main part of your meal, could be as simple as a bowl of fruit but usually involves custard, fruit, jelly (jello) cream, instant whip, stewed rhubarb, apple pie, apple (and or rhubarb) crumble, any of which can be topped with hundreds and thousands, nuts or chocolate

 

[Zigs]

For the current iteration is the main intention pest management (birds most likely) or for climate protection / season extension?

Birds mainly, we have those that eat the fruit, but also partridges that prune everything (oh, and pigeons)

It gives a bit of weather protection and I also planted Broccoli in there over winter to keep the butterfly caterpillars off ( they were still active on the outside plants in December ) I have some American Land Cress in there going to seed as this likes a bit of protection over winter and it's better self seeded than sown.

Before the netted tunnel was there it was the site of a static caravan, first year we put a crop of potatoes in to clear the ground. Black keeled slugs ate most of the tubers

Second year we planted Strawberries, slugs ate every last berry