The Strawberries are Coming!

Is there anything better than fresh strawberries? Look at these beauties! I can hardly wait.

I started last year with 12 small plants in one bed. Those plants have spread and filled in nicely. They look pretty with their red leaves.

There are tiny berries hiding in there.  

In October I transplanted the runners from the strawberry plants into another bed which essentially doubled my strawberry patch. Click here to read my post about how to transplant strawberry runners. 

Here's what the new bed looked like on the day I transplanted the runners.

And here it is today.

The plants are healthy and growing well. Some straw mulch would be a good idea. That's one of the many chores on my list. Straw helps to keep the berries off of the soil which protects them from pests and prevents them from rotting. Or you can do what I do which is gently move the ripening berries so they lay on top of the leaves. That is not such a chore if you are already out there picking berries daily and if the patch is small. 

My plan is to continue to transplant runners into empty areas around our property. 

The more strawberries the better!