Brandy,

I read this post last night and my initial response was to tell you that strawberries are a lovely novelty, but hardly worth the great amount of time, effort and expense that they require. But, that is not what you asked, so I'll just say that I do not grow them although, of course, I tried them in the past and had moderate success. My grandmother, who loved to grow things, planted them once or twice in her sandy soil but didn't continue that experiement for long. I know there are people on this forum who grow strawberries, but I'm not one of them.

I will say that if you are in a rural area with lots of wildlife, you will have to cover them religiously with bird netting or hardware cloth or something because every single wild critter that passes through your property will eat them, and that include everything from sowbugs to birds to rabbits.

You can build a raised bed of anything you desire. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The Noble Foundation in Ardmore has done quite a lot of research on growing strawberries using plasticulture, so you can google the phrase Noble Foundation strawberry reasearch and read about their results.

I've linked an old thread where we discussed strawberries extensively. As the years go on, I think I am less and less likely to grow strawberries here. I have to do heroic amounts of soil improvement to this yucky red clay in order to be able to grow anything, so I only plant stuff that gives me a pretty good harvest in return, and strawberries don't. (And it does pain me that I do not grow strawberries because I love 'em, but you have to pick your battles.)

Good luck,

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Strawberry Thread

I have had a small patch for 6 or 7 years now. My soil is sand. I added a lot of compost before I planted. I planted them on a raised mound. It is flat now .

The best fruit are on the second year plants. Just thin them out each year to keep fresh plant.

We do loose a lot to turtles and birds. We have a dog now so we loose a lot less. I am going to try a new idea this year. Paint strawberry sized stones red. Put them in the patch before the strawberry's ripen. It is supposed to fluster the birds. They then give up on your patch before they ripen.

The only fertilizer I use is coffee grounds. Then in the fall I put just a few pine needles over them.

Other than that I just pull the grass and weeds a couple of times a year.

I don't recall what kind they are there are an ever bearing type though.

Stringer Nursery 7203 e 41st in Tulsa always has a lot of different virities in early spring. We grow strawberries and for us their worth the effort.