Author Topic: new strawberry plants  (Read 2095 times)

strawberry1

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new strawberry plants
« on: June 01, 2017, 07:07:25 »
I gave allotment strawberries up last year, gave all the runners away, it was one long slug battle, however I am starting again with a difference. I noticed a runner on my slate tier at home, taken root and looked healthy, from a discarded strawberry, I think mara de bois. From this I got 9 good plants in troughs at home. This made me think about how tough strawberry plants are and their instinct for survival

Today I am going to add a bagful of buckwheat hulls to a raised bed, already containing two blueberries but has plenty of space. Maybe 3kg. Three years ago I emptied two buckwheat pillows on the apple tree/flowers end and they made life so much easier wrt hoeing etc and I see no slug damage. I did get a few buckwheat shoots but they were easily seen to, the hulls have pretty well remained on the surface of the clay soil, I hoe but don`t dig and worms are not going to pull them down

So this is an experiment, I bought masses of these hulls, enough for 4 beds, a little weight goes a long way. I have ordered new runners, malling centenary and for this bed I do have bird netting already in place, also to protect from people and animals. I honestly don`t think I will get a slug problem in future. I used slug nematodes this year but that does not stop large slugs and all snails

Another experiment: I bought delicious driscolls jubilee but they cannot be bought as plants. Hybridised so anything could happen and I don`t know if the seeds are fertile. I scraped seeds off and put them on fine compost in a light place. We`ll see, there might be a good result
« Last Edit: June 01, 2017, 07:11:43 by strawberry1 »

pumkinlover

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2017, 07:17:43 »
Just googled buckwheat hulls but a quick search just comes up with pillows. I take it that you find it is also a slug repellent.

strawberry1

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2017, 10:48:49 »
I am still experimenting but after two years the hulls have not broken down, in fact they make hoeing very much easier, once the weeds are sliced then they seem to dry out faster. The hulls also seem to stay on or close to the surface. If I were a slug then I would definitely not slither on the hulls. I went and spread them this morning and I could probably have used less. So far so good and am now waiting for the runners

lottie lou

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2017, 08:07:45 »
Where did you buy your buckwheat hulls from please

Vinlander

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2017, 12:11:18 »
I'm interested in buckwheat hulls for a completely different gardening reason.

For years I've been wondering why my normal source of wholegrain buckwheat flour was no longer grey (Dove Farm is the only one available at a reasonable price). It's obvious that the black buckwheat hulls were suddenly removed for some reason. I can't find another source, and I'm reluctant to buy any buckwheat flour that doesn't mention 'grey' - unless I can see it first.

It's an issue of flavour - the grey flour adds a distinct delicious 'edge' to the flavour of crepes/galettes and breads, but  the white stuff doesn't - it has no gluten but it tastes the same as white wheat flour. Fortunately nobody in Japan would dare to make soba noodles from the white version of buckwheat flour.

Another major loss in the fight against the 'blanding' of modern food sources.

I grow buckwheat now to make my own grey flour, but picking is fiddly and grinding them (I only have a coffee grinder) isn't 100% successful.

The only reason I could find was that the hulls alone are rich in some kind of valuable drug.

It now turns out that the fashion trade may be the reason the hulls are being 'stolen' from the flour!

The hulls are far too expensive to buy as a mulch (cocoa shell is £13.50 for 70L) - but they might be worth buying to revitalise my baking...

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

strawberry1

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2017, 09:09:08 »
I was born and bred eating kasha and often cooked buckwheat when the children were young. I have soaked, sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat for many years. Much healthier than any buckwheat grain

The hulls are used for japanese pillows and are sold by weight, not volume

Vinlander

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2017, 14:23:25 »
I'm mainly interested in forms of buckwheat that taste better or different from other grains. I've tried most of its forms but the grey flour and the toasted groats are exceptionally good.

For me toasted buckwheat groats are way better than couscous, bulgar etc. and are second only to Basmati rice.

Incidentally the untoasted hulled groats are available at most supermarkets and the best way to buy viable buckwheat seed either to grow or sprout. I found they give a higher germination rate than the seed sold for green manuring.

Talking of sprouts, it's apparently best to eat them before they are significantly green - the green parts contain a mild poison - people who (sadly) use green buckwheat juice regularly can become quite ill.

Cheers.

With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

strawberry1

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2017, 18:46:56 »
I say sprout but only soaked overnight, which is enough to just start the process. It makes a nice crispy cereal when dehydrated at a low temperature in my excalibur

strawberry1

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Re: new strawberry plants
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2017, 20:39:56 »
my new strawberry plants have taken nicely and the bed is still clean and weed free, looking good

 

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