Protecting Strawberries
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Plastic half inch pipes make hoops that keep plastic fencing over strawberries. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
Protecting Strawberries
For several decades I have used strawberry plants for flower bed borders. Between June-bearing varieties and day neutrals that produce during the growing season, I can usually find a handful or two of strawberries for my use.
This year, I decided to add strawberries in my Berry Patch, knowing full well it would be a challenge to protect the plants against my local mowing crew of white-tailed deer and rescued rabbits.
My King Kong strawberries with their first growth and green fencing cover. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
I started with this small bed of a strawberry called King King. They are supposed to be large berries and I fell for the name although friends who have grown them said they didn’t like their flavor.
The plants were growing quite well under a green plastic fence canopy.
Deer apparently can push the fencing down and reach the strawberries. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
About a month after the plants were planted, someone came along and ate most of the growth.
Time to go into plan B to protect the plants.
Measuring the plastic green fencing over the half inch plastic pipe hoops. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)
Taking a cue from another nearby strawberry bed, I installed plastic hoops that now hold the green fencing mesh higher.
They are also attached at the sides so the canopy is more stable and harder to move.
Ok, now to see how will this will work.
