Rat-Proof Strawberry Cage - Because We Needed One

The rats have discovered my strawberries, so the war is on. For weeks I have been watching the plants as they awakened from winter's nap, admiring the beautiful blossoms, waiting for the berries to ripen. This bed was transplanted with strawberry runners taken from another bed and it was full of tiny berries in various stages of development. One day I noticed one of the berries was half eaten. Only the ripe red part was gone. The unripe part of the berry remained attached to the plant. At first I thought it was slugs but after careful inspection, there were no signs of them. A few days later more berries were ripening and over night the same thing happened. Something was eating half of the berry, leaving the unripe part behind. 

We have fruit rats in our neighborhood. They are foul and I do not want to even think about them. Nothing is more creepy to me than mice and rats. UGH! They eat our tangelos and pomegranates. That is bad enough, but the strawberries are mine. They can't have them. So I decided to build a cover to protect my delicious berries from those nasty creatures. I have a dog, so putting traps in that area is not an option, and poison is out for the same reason. Here is what I came up with a couple of weeks ago.

I used a sheet of 1/4 inch wire mesh, and bent it to create a cover. I used a wooden stake as a straight edge to fold up about six inches along each edge.

To make the corners, I cut along the fold line to the corner.

Then I folded the corner and secured it with wire.

Then I turned it over and placed it over the strawberries, taking care to push it down so there were no gaps where hungry rats could enter. Placing a couple of rocks on it secured it in place, and guess what? It works!! 

If the rats discover the strawberries in the main garden, I won't be able to cover them because the space is too big. The traps will have to come out (a fence keeps the dog out of that area). I intend to win this war. 

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!

Transplanting Strawberries

The strawberry plants have sent out their runners so it's time to transplant them into a new bed I've prepared. Last year I started with 12 small plants in one of my garden beds and they are spreading. My vision is to have strawberries filling some of the empty spaces on our property; an edible landscape of divine tastiness. Instead of buying more plants, I'll use what I have. I prepared one of my empty beds and today is transplanting day. The garden has a way of telling you when it's time for a certain chore. When the strawberry runners have started to take root, it is time to transplant them. 

Fall is the ideal time to transplant things in my neck of the woods. Living in Southern California means gardening year-round. By transplanting in the fall when the soil is still warm, the plants are encouraged to grow roots before the soil cools. They put their energy into growing roots instead of leaves. Then over the cooler months of winter the plants will rest. When spring comes, the plants have already established their root systems and they are ready to grow. 

 Strawberries propagate by sending out side shoots, or runners (stolons). 

This mother plant has several runners.

At the end of the runner, a new baby plant starts to grow. Initially there are leaves but no roots, like this one.

Since it has no roots yet, this baby gets its nutrients from the "mother" plant through the runner: it's like an umbilical cord. To transplant this baby, you must transplant it together with the mother and leave the umbilical stem attached since the baby cannot sustain itself until it develops roots of its own. 

This baby has a root system. It is ready to live on its own so I cut the runner close to the crown.  

The crown is the area where the roots, stems and runners meet, shown in the center of this photo.

Before digging up the plant, I start by looking at the babies. If there are no roots, I know I must keep it attached to the mother plant. If the baby has roots, I cut the runner and dig up the baby separately. 

Here are the basics of transplanting:

The idea is to try to dig up the entire root system without disturbing the roots. To do this, try to imagine how big the root system is. The bigger the plant, the bigger the root system.  Stick your trowel straight into the soil then remove it and stick it in again, going all around the plant.

Now you are ready to carefully lift the plant and roots out of the ground. Take care to keep the soil and roots intact.

My soil is very light, so most of the soil fell away from the small root system leaving bare roots. That is not a problem as long as it is transplanted into the new soil very quickly so the plant does not dehydrate. 

Cut away any dead or dying leaves. If a leaf is dying, it is best to remove it so the plant does not put energy into sustaining that leaf. Instead it will put effort into growing roots.

Before pruning

After pruning

Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots without crowding them, and gently arrange the roots trying to keep the roots in their original shape. This will decrease the transplant shock. 

Cover the roots with soil taking care that the crown of the plant is even with the surface of the soil. The plant should be buried to the same depth as it was previously growing.

For those baby plants that have not yet sprouted roots, place the crown on top of the soil then slightly bury the runner and crown to encourage the baby to take root.

Again taking my cues from the plants themselves, I place the transplants 9 to 12 inches apart. This is how long the runners generally are, so that is the distance the plants seem to want to have between momma and baby.

Water the plants well, and keep them moist. Remember that the roots are small and shallow, so don't let the surface soil dry out. 

They look happy, don't they?

 And I'll be even happier next June when I'm picking those luscious berries!

What We're Eating Today - Strawberries

Yum! Strawberries. The sweet little gifts, could they be any cuter? They are such happy looking fruits. The color is even a cheery red.

And I love the way they look suspended from their dainty stems beneath green lobes. They invite you to pick them.

I have only one variety, Sequoia. From 12 plants, I consistently get a half dozen beautiful berries a day, enough for a smoothy or nice little dish of sliced berries.

My grandma used to make sliced strawberries with sugar and whipped cream for dessert. Oh my, the juice in the bottom of the bowl was heavenly!