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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 17, 2015 9:45:25 GMT -5
Have some Sequoia strawberries growing in my garden. They are huge, and oh-so-sweet! Because of all the organic matter (some not totally broken down), I have a lot of sowbugs there. They also like strawberries!
Had to come up with a way to protect the berries from the marauding hordes bent on destroying my crops, but didn't want to use pesticides. My solution? 
Covering the ripening berries in bridal shower bags! 
May look a little funny, and be a little labor intensive, but what-the-hey, it works! Some of the berries grow almost too big to get them out of the bags, lol.
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Don
Cave Dweller 
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Apr 17, 2015 10:12:13 GMT -5
Very nice! I also have a plague of pill bugs in my garden and they're constantly munching on any veggies that grow resting on the ground. munch holes in my raddish, squash, berries, etc. I like you idea of the bridal bags to protect the fruit.
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snuffy
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Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Apr 17, 2015 11:15:53 GMT -5
Great idea Jean! I've never had luck growing strawberries in my area.They look mouthwatering!
snuffy
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 17, 2015 11:23:45 GMT -5
Thanks, Don and Snuffy. Strawberries bought in the store just don't do it for me, these are delectable! My mom used to grow them by the bushelfull (well, I'm exaggerating a little  ), and made strawberry wine. She also made boysenberry and plum wine (Santa Rosa plums, snuffy, the best kind!) That's was many years ago, before I was legal age to drink. Think that stopped me?? Forgot to mention that around these parts, I can pick up the ready-to-go bridal shower bags at the swapmeet cheap. Could make them myself, but when they only run 8 for a dollar, guess what I choose to do? |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Apr 18, 2015 14:59:39 GMT -5
Gigantus strawberries by Jean.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 18, 2015 18:10:39 GMT -5
Funny, I didn't use to like strawberries...
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Post by iant on Apr 19, 2015 3:43:21 GMT -5
They look great! Food means so much more when you grow it yourself! So much flavour and freshness.
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Post by snowmom on Apr 19, 2015 6:26:20 GMT -5
Gotta look up sequoia strawberries... the ones you get in the stores are so bland. I have a bunch ordered to plant when we are near frost free... they won't get here until the last month of may. Those strawberries are the size of a small apple! Fantastic! intensive gardening at its finest that you protect them in their own mesh bags, that is a brilliant solution! The only thing better than fresh strawberries is black raspberries. I'm thinking a bowl of those unblemished beauties on your table is well worth the effort. slice 'em up and pass the cream. yum!
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Post by drocknut on Apr 23, 2015 18:53:40 GMT -5
Yum, strawberries. Seriously great idea to deal with the bugs even if it is labor intensive. Makes the plants look pretty too.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 23, 2015 19:20:00 GMT -5
Oh yes,we grow our own berries too,just planted some new "Ever Berry" Strawberries in tall planters,plus our ground Strawberries...Better than any store bought berries...
Liking the bag wraps to protect them from the bugs.....Thumbs up
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Post by docone31 on Apr 23, 2015 20:39:35 GMT -5
They look great. I wish I could find the Strawberry vines that grow in link fences. We get a lot of snakes in the bushes and the fence growing Strawberries are the trick.
We have a grower near our shop. I have also had him looking out for me for a Watermelon Tree. He is from Mexico and we have difficulties speaking to him. It is getting better though. He is a great guy. We laugh a lot. I ask for the Watermelon Tree and we laugh for a bit.
Always cheers me up talking to him.
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lilacmoth
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 160 
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Post by lilacmoth on Apr 23, 2015 20:49:35 GMT -5
Oh man, no fair! We still have another two months before strawberries! Yours look so good *cries* lol
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 23, 2015 22:24:09 GMT -5
Jean,my Dad was raised on a strawberry farm in Montana in the 20's and 30's....The name of the farm was called "Strawberry Acres"....LOL
Grandpa would get the county inmates out there to pull the weeds out of the plants................
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 24, 2015 0:06:53 GMT -5
Loved strawberries as a small child, then i worked picking them starting about 12 years old, and rarely ate one till we started growing them a few years ago.
To keep the pests away we spray garlic water with a few drops of dawn dish soap onto them.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 24, 2015 9:46:34 GMT -5
Loved strawberries as a small child, then i worked picking them starting about 12 years old, and rarely ate one till we started growing them a few years ago. To keep the pests away we spray garlic water with a few drops of dawn dish soap onto them. Hey,did that solution really work?? Would like to try that..Is there a recipe?? Thumbs up |
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Post by drocknut on Apr 24, 2015 10:36:40 GMT -5
Garlic strawberries, hmm could be a new taste treat..not.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 24, 2015 10:39:12 GMT -5
What Mike said - is there a recipe? And wondering if the "bug spray" washes off easily before eating them? Or do you pick all the berries before applying it?
I just fertilized all the plants in the garden earlier this week with fish emulsion. Made the mistake of getting some on a couple of the sheer bags containing berries. Was able to wash the smell off the berries (mostly), but can't get the stink out of the bags, lol. Took several days for the smell to go away from my hands. But still, I really like the stuff, can't beat it for natural fertilizer.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 24, 2015 14:07:01 GMT -5
What Mike said - is there a recipe? And wondering if the "bug spray" washes off easily before eating them? Or do you pick all the berries before applying it? I just fertilized all the plants in the garden earlier this week with fish emulsion. Made the mistake of getting some on a couple of the sheer bags containing berries. Was able to wash the smell off the berries (mostly), but can't get the stink out of the bags, lol. Took several days for the smell to go away from my hands. But still, I really like the stuff, can't beat it for natural fertilizer. Jean-salt water takes the fish smell off your hands,might work for other things too....... |
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 24, 2015 23:57:00 GMT -5
Heres what Elizabeth makes up for our garden.
Bug Killer- 1/2tsp dish soap, 1/8 cup vinegar, 16 oz water for a solution to kill the bugs that are there.
Repellant, egg and larvae killer, not effective for everything but Aphids will be gone, pretty good for mosquitoes and possibly others- Crush 10-12 garlic cloves and add boiling water, allow to sit overnight and strain it so it won't plug a sprayer, add 1 tbsp dish soap and 1 tsp cayenne.
We might shate a batch of ladybugs with the neighbor this year too, the population seems to be down and they do a good job of dealing with smaller pests
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 25, 2015 9:40:47 GMT -5
Heres what Elizabeth makes up for our garden. Bug Killer- 1/2tsp dish soap, 1/8 cup vinegar, 16 oz water for a solution to kill the bugs that are there. Repellant, egg and larvae killer, not effective for everything but Aphids will be gone, pretty good for mosquitoes and possibly others- Crush 10-12 garlic cloves and add boiling water, allow to sit overnight and strain it so it won't plug a sprayer, add 1 tbsp dish soap and 1 tsp cayenne. We might shate a batch of ladybugs with the neighbor this year too, the population seems to be down and they do a good job of dealing with smaller pests Thanks for the info-THUMBS UP!!! |
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), and made strawberry wine. She also made boysenberry and plum wine (Santa Rosa plums,
