Peacekneads:

No.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

That's interesting.. I got a completely different response on the Herb Forum.

I attached the link below so you could see why they thought it wouldn't be a good idea.

Here is a link that might be useful: Strawberries with Lavender? Herb Forum

I should try this. Post a topic all over GW until I get the answer I want. hum.

Eric

Sheesh!

I posted it on the 2 forums it pertained to.. And good thing I did cuz the other rude responder was wrong.

Not very neighborly..

I sometimes post the same question on several forums, because the forums are so divided. If I have a "kitchen garden" question, I will post it on the potager forum (not always that active and a little more formal than my space) the vegetable forum, sometimes the herb forum, sometimes the fruit forum and even the cottage garden forum. Kitchen gardens and potagers usually include vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. For some reason, GW doesn't have a kitchen garden forum that I can find, just a general subject with all these separate forums. It seems a little rude to assume that someone who posts on multiple forums is simply looking for the answer they want.

If you don't think it's a good idea to plant strawberries with lavender, maybe an explanation would be in order. There are several types of lavender and alpine strawberries might work better in some situations. A dismissive "no" seems a little abrupt. Eric, you and peacekneads are in the same general area of the country, while I'm on the other side of the state. Rather than snubbing someone, I thought we were on the GW to help each other and give advice...even to newbies.

One idea peacekneads had on the herb forum was a two-tiered raised bed with lavender above strawberries, which might help with any drainage issues. I think it might be a good idea and a nice centerpiece to the garden :)

Peacekneads:

It seems you anticipated a more expansive reply to your very brief question. You will have to concede, however, that you provided no context to give you much more without the guesswork that usually follows short questions like yours. Nothing about soil, moisture conditions, your location (which might permit some more educated guessing), or a discussion of your plans, which might suggest why you want to plant lavender and strawberries together. Usually, when people want to try companion plantings, it is because of a desire to conserve space.

I have two perennial lavender plants here, one in the ground in a bed where I grow all kinds of herbs (and the occasional pepper or cabbage), and the other in a large pot. These are among the toughest plants I have seen, and survive Northern Virginia winters reliably, freezing back in the winter and roaring back to life in spring. They seem impossible to kill. I make no special arrangements for their soil or moisture requirements; they get the same treatment as anything else in my garden, in soil that has been significantly enriched over the years, sometimes wet, sometimes dry.

I stand by my one-word reply, and continue to believe that, under most conditions, strawberries and lavender would do just fine side-by-side. If you prefer to believe your herbalist colleagues, that is entirely up to you. I see that in your latest post on the Herb Forum, you have revealed your location as the Olympic Peninsula. That's a good start. The better the input, the better the output.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Lass,

I know two rudes don't make a right. I just thought that peacekneads tactic was uncalled for. Very simple questions usually get simple answers. Then taking this simple answer and complain in a different forum is wrong. Why not stay in the original post and supply a little more information. Follow up.

I would rather plant strawberries under blueberries based on watering requirements, but that wasn't the question.

Eric

Eric- Good to know strawberries and blueberries do well together. Mom's giving me a bunch of strawberries this spring (thinning her garden) and I've been trying to figure out where to put them in my garden. Under the blueberries sound like a great idea...thanks :)

lass, sorry about being a jerk, I'm usually a laid back guy.

My brother just ordered 1250 bare root strawberries. What to do?

Eric

Eric,

Plant them.

That's not rude, is it?

Also, the OP didn't "complain" in the other forum, or at least that wasn't her intention when she started the topic. She just wanted to get as many responses as possible I assume. More ideas to throw into the mixing pot I suppose.

But to answer your question, do you have room for all those strawberries under your blueberries? That's a lot of berries...

homer,

"plant them" now that's funny ! hehe

He's a landscaper and a Farmers Market member. He / we will be planting several hundred in our own beds and sell the rest.

Eric

I plant alpine strawberries (which do not runner) between my young blueberry bushes, but unless you want to obsessively remove all runners I would not recommend planting standard strawberries which runner and would form a mass of plants competing with the shallow rooted blueberries. Blueberries grow slow enough without planting vigorous competitors beneath them.

Great idea djofnelson.

I've just become aware of the amazingness of alpines. I liked them so much that I started around 300 plants this year. I'm very excited...

Thanks, homertherat. They are really easy to start from seed (that reminds me I need to start another batch this year). My alpines still thrive despite the sulfur added to the soil.