Strawberries

With the exception of those unfortunate few who are allergic to them, who doesn’t absolutely love strawberries? Kids love ‘em right off the plant and if you have some in your yard – strawberries, not kids – I’m sure you’ll find the kids grazing on them from time to time. I can think of one extraordinary child whose favorite food in the whole, wide world is strawberry waffles!

While strawberries are indeed a huge favorite, the do also show up on the “Dirty Dozen” list. That list is the twelve fruits that carry the highest levels of residual pesticides, even after you wash them. It’s a pretty scary list. From the top: peaches, celery, apples, sweet bell peppers, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach and strawberries. In fact, 90% of commercially grown strawberries have tested positive for – are you ready for this – THIRTY SIX DIFFERENT KINDS OF PESTICIDES. For a fruit with not very many pests, that is really mind-boggling, in my opinion. Obviously, growing them on your own organically is a much better choice. Even purchasing organic, in this instance, is a much better choice, but that’s an opinion for another forum.

There are four types of strawberries, although I think that the Alpine is too much effort. They will produce fruit almost all summer, but the fruits are tiny and you would need a lot of plants to get enough fruit to make growing these worth the effort.

There are, however, three other types that work very well for the home organic garden.

June Bearing: June bearers bear all their fruit in June (duh!). You can purchase early, mid and late season varieties, but that still means early, mid or late JUNE. These plants grow fairly large and develop an active runner system. They work well in a dedicated strawberry patch. These produce a large crop all at one time. Also, June bearing varieties won’t produce until their second season in the ground.

Ever-Bearing: Ever bearing strawberries produce fruit from late spring until early fall. They will regularly develop fruit, but never really very much at one time. The plants don’t get huge and don’t produce runners like the June bearers. And you’ll be able to harvest fruit in the first season.

Day-Neutral: (My personal favorite) Day-neutral varieties produce fairly decent crops of berries from spring until fall, with a fairly large crop in the fall. The plants are on the smaller side but produce fruit quite well. I’m told that the only drawback to the day-neutrals is that they don’t do well in places with very hot summers. If we were to have a severe heat wave in the Valley, I’d suggest shade cloth for the hot afternoon/early evening. The great folks at the extension don’t feel that the heat we get in the summer should be a deterrent to growing day-neutral varieties. As with the ever-bearing varieties, day-neutrals will produce fruit in their first season of growth.

Purchase your plants from a local nursery or order from a catalog for planting in the early spring. That’s right now. I got some very nice plants locally and then some others from a grower who was plowing up their field. If Seven Oaks plants strawberries this year, you might be able to get some of those plants for free when they plow the field at the end of the season. Plant them and grow them organically, if you have room for a dedicated strawberry patch.

Strawberries require five or six hours of sun per day, so choose your location accordingly. Soil that is high in organic matter is an absolute necessity, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. I’ve talked a lot about pH and test kits. I’ve noticed some nice little test kits – reasonably priced – available right here in town. To get your plants off to a ripping start, clear your area of all weeds and grass and dig in two to three inches of compost into the top few inches of soil. A dedicated strawberry patch would work well with the Lasagna gardening method; check the archives for information on that.

Planting strawberries is fairly straightforward. In your prepared bed, dig holes the size of the root ball and plant it with the crown of the plant slightly above soil level. Fill it in and water your plants well. Once they’re in, mulch with straw, shredded leaves or pine needles. Pine needles are really great for strawberries since they will raise the acidity of the soil slightly as they break down. Another added caveat is that most of us have some pine needles in our yards that need a place to go.

There are two methods for planting a strawberry bed. The first – The Matted Row – provides for easy maintenance. Set your plants 18 inches apart in rows three feet apart. The plants will send out runners and each runner will create a new plant. Keep the spaces between the rows open by removing plants from both sides of each row as they start to grow outward. You can either cut the runners and dig up the attached plant or simply run a tiller down the row. Remove some of the original plants from each row at the same time as the newest plants will bear the most fruit the next season.

The second – hill planting – is best if you have limited space. Again, lasagna gardening works well for this. Set your plants out 12 inches apart in all directions, either in row or groups. Make sure the bed is small enough that you can reach all the plants. Cut off the runners as soon as they appear so that the plants will direct all their energy into fruit production and give you large harvests.

Make sure that your plants get at least an inch of water a week. Remember to mulch to save on water and stop weeds without weed killers. Feed your plants with compost or organic fertilizer monthly. Blood meal and bone meal are good choices. If there are coffee drinkers in your house, you can put those grounds right into the strawberry bed. Strawberries are fairly shallow rooted. While they don’t like “wet feet”, if the soil dries out too much, fruit production will stop. This is one reason why mulching is so important. I wouldn’t use that whole inch of water a week all at once either. Water twice a week to ensure even moisture. Maybe a little extra if it’s really hot.

There are two schools of thought on strawberries. I’ve talked to folks on both sides of this fence at the Master Gardeners. Some say not to allow any fruit to develop in that first year, with the exception of ever-bearing plants. They say to pick off every single blossom as soon as you see it and that even one or two berries will weaken your plants and production will be greatly impaired. Others say, if you’re growing ever-bearers or day-neutrals, pick off the blossoms into mid-summer to give the plants time to develop strong root systems and grow into strong plants. By then, your plants should be well established enough to bear a late summer or fall crop. Since instant gratification is my personal super power, I’d be more likely to take that second option. Your mileage may vary.

Don’t plant your strawberries in or near an area where you are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes or raspberries. These plants can carry verticillium wilt that can infect your strawberries.

Strawberries aren’t bothered by a huge number of pests (unless you count your significant other, who decimates the crop regularly) and of those, our feathered friends are perhaps the greatest offenders. Bird netting is available at nurseries and our local hardware store. The other main pests are slugs and snails. There are a number of things you can do to keep them away. Install a copper edging strip around the perimeter of the bed. Slugs and snails won’t cross copper because it creates and electrical reaction when it comes in contact with their slime. You can use diatomaceous earth as a deterrent or the ever-popular dishes of beer in the garden.

As if this even needs saying – Be sure to pick your strawberries as soon as they ripen and eat, freeze or preserve them immediately. Like we could leave a strawberry to rot in the bed! Ha!

Daisy, daisy

Someone once said that daisies represent what is so right about gardening. And, you know what? They’re right. Daisies are so cool. There are so many varieties and colors and they’re just so…fun. So HAPPY. They are just the happiest flower to look at, grow and have around. They are also one of the most popular flowers to grow in the home garden. Easy to grow, this delicate and lovely flower reminds us that spring is here, relaxing afternoons and Easter time.

Some random facts about daisies:
The name “daisy” comes from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “day’s eye”.
Most daisies have a spreading growth habit.
In many cultures, daisies are symbols of innocence.
Daisies can be propagated by division.
The English daisy is an invasive weed in the Northwest.
Daisies are used by children to make daisy chains.
Daisy leaves are edible.

Daisies come in all shapes and sizes. Most daisies are perennials, which I like, and that they’ll last several years. Perennials come with a time investment requirement, so they may also take a while to grow. There are annual daisies, to be sure. African daisies, for example, will require a little more work since – as annuals – their life cycle is only the one year. The choice is yours. They can all mostly be grown from seed, so head on down to the local garden center and pick up a package of daisy seeds of your choice.

I like Shasta daisies – so classic. I also really like the Gerber daisies with their brilliant colors. Once you’ve made YOUR choice, you’ll have to find the right place to plant them. Daisies like well-drained soil that is rich with nutrients. They also like full sun. Make sure that your location will get as much sunlight as possible. As always, before you plant, feed your soil so that your soil will feed your plants.

Daisies look best in clumps so it would behoove you to plant your seeds close together. Feed them a nice organic fertilizer during early growth and then once a month after that. Adding a high Phosphorous fertilizer right before bloom time will add to size and brilliance of bloom. Water your daisies when they get dry. Generally, daisies are not bothered by critters. Insects don’t seem to like them. If you find visitors amongst your daisies, there are some good homemade remedies in the arsenal you can check out. Go to the Rogue River Press archives and check out the past articles.

Let’s talk about size. Of the smaller varieties, Gerber or Gerbera daisies are by far the most popular. Angelita or Santa Barbara daisies are good, cheerful choices of the smaller size range. Medium size daisy plants include the chrysanthemums, Echinacea, asters, galliardia, Gloriosa daisy, golden marguerite (can take frost) and the lovely blue-hued Swan River daisy. Larger plants are the Shastas and Euryops. Sunflowers are considered by many to be GIANT daisies and can now be found in a variety of sizes and colors from brilliant reds, to browns and every hue of yellow. Annual daisy varieties include cosmos, coreopsis, Acton, calendula, painted daisies and African daisies.

Gerbera daisies. A bouquet of them will lift the spirit and brighten the day of anyone who receives them. The multitude of varieties and colors lends the Gerbera to becoming the favorite choice for the OCCASION bouquet. Brilliant pink, snowy white, sunshine yellow and deep ruby are a few of the fabulous colors that these happy flowers bring to the gardening table.
While I doubt that anyone is going to have nothing but daisies in their gardens, I think that we overlook this intrinsically happy and underrated flower. I guess people think them common, but nothing says “Welcome To My Garden” like a rousing display of Shastas, with their sunny demeanor.

Daisies lend themselves to cutting to bring indoors. Bring some of this cheer to your garden this year, and take a second look at the varieties of daisy-like flowers. You’ll be glad you did.

Sweet smell of . . .

Success. And that smell is the fragrance of a Daphne plant that has weathered more than one season in your yard. A friend was telling me about how this is her very favorite of all plants. I’d forgotten the incredible fragrance of Daphne. I’d also forgotten how finicky and persnickety it can be. If you give it the right spot…and I mean, exactly the right spot, with the right soil and don’t water it much…Daphne can be an absolute wonder of the most amazing fragrance you can grow in your garden.

The Daphnis have rather gotten themselves a “bad reputation”. One of the fine folks at the Master Gardeners has stated that Daphne are “fussy about soil and prone to sudden death for no apparent reason.” Hmph. There’s always a reason. Always. Further inquiry shows that success with Daphne means not disturbing the roots when planting. It is a common practice to break apart the root ball when planting shrubs. For Daphne, it is the kiss of death. Carefully remove the plant from the container and with equal care place it into the planting hole so as not to disturb its roots.

Most of the time, Daphne is a fairly unassuming shrub, just hanging out in the shadier parts of the garden. They grow to four feet high or so and around six feet wide. Its 3-inch long leaves are glossy and thick and rich in color. The most popular variety has a yellow or white edged leaf.

Daphne produces clusters of extremely fragrant flowers that are pink to deep red on the outside and a creamy pale pink on the inside. Blooming in February, Daphne is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite gardener and is truly a gift that keeps on giving. The blooms last for a few weeks, through March usually.

Daphne is not interested in full sun; plant it so that it gets shade at mid-day. Aside from the fragrance, the other really wonderful thing about Daphne is that it is deer proof. Not deer resistant – DEER PROOF.

The big thing with Daphne is that it wants really great drainage; not so easy to do in some of our yards in the Rogue Valley, where the soil tends to sometimes be heavy. Work in plenty of organic matter into your soil. You plant Daphne just like you do Rhodies, but unlike Rhodies, you will want to water Daphne as infrequently as possible. Little water during the dry season helps Daphne form its flower buds for the following year.

Plant the root ball of Daphne a bit high in the ground and mulch the soil or plant a nice ground cover to shade the roots.

Daphne is slow growing and makes an excellent container plant. This is a good thing since you can move it around to find the place that it likes best and to take advantage of the fragrance at bloom time.

Other fragrant dainties for the winter garden are Sarcococca, which is an evergreen shrub. Small, inconspicuous white flowers offer an unmistakable fragrance. Sarcococca thrives in partial to deep shade and they actually like it under cedar or Douglass fir trees. Good companion plants for both Daphne and Sarcococca are tassel fern, bleeding hearts and anemone.

Another candidate for the winter garden is the Chinese witch hazel. It is a slow growing, deciduous shrub boasting unusual and typically yellow flowers. Chinese witch hazel will persist in the worst winter weather, including frost and snow, and will survive beautifully. Chinese witch hazel likes a bit of sun but will do alright with light shade as well.

The last winter surprise I want to talk about is the evergreen clematis (clematis armandii). This plant features large white flowers that begin to appear in January or February with a scent that is abundant and heady. This plant likes full sun, is easy to grow and requires a screen or trellis for support.

Speaking of fragrance, at the other end of the seasonal spectrum, we have the tuberose. This is a bulb that produces tall flower spikes with numerous blooms and a fragrance that is rich and wonderful. If you have a sunny, warm site in your flower garden, then tuberose could be for you.

Find a location with excellent drainage. If there are water puddles 5 hours after a hard rain, choose a different site. You can also heavily amend the soil and raise the level two to three inches to improve the drainage. Compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well for tuberose.

Plant your bulbs where they will receive full sun. If you can find tuberose bulbs in clusters, that’s always a good choice. Plant about 3” deep and about 8 inches apart. After planting, water generously, soaking the soil. Roots and top growth will develop in a few weeks. Water regularly during the growing season if there’s no rain. Tuberoses are hungry and like a side dressing of an 8-8-8 fertilizer while in an active growth cycle.

Tuberose will flower in mid to later summer, generally 120 days after you plant them. When that bloom hits, be sure to bring some inside for cut flowers.

After the bloom, leave the foliage in place. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next season’s bloom cycle. Water as needed. When the leaves start to turn yellow, later in the season, feel free to remove them then. Tuberose also does well in containers, where you can shift them around to best take advantage of the fragrance.

Just before the annual frost, you might consider digging up your bulbs, cutting off the tops to within 2 inches of the apex of the bulb and placing them in shallow boxes in the sun to air out for about a week. If the evenings are too cold, bring them in. You don’t want them exposed to temperatures below 40 degrees. Store them away in boxes for the winter. There are gardeners who have successfully overwintered tuberose in the ground by utilizing a heavy cover of mulch. Just depends on where you are in the valley, how much sun your yard gets and how long the snow stays on the ground at your house.