My Strawberry Pyramid

Last year I planted a new batch of strawberries and decided to build a pyramid for them to grow in. The pyramid is actually a three tier raised bed and the dimensions are 5’for the bottom, 3’ for the middle, and 1’ for the top. Each box is approximately 6” deep. These dimensions can vary somewhat but design it so you can reach into the middle when it’s time to pick. The advantages of the 3 tier raised bed is to provide good drainage and allow for easier picking.

This is last year maybe a month after planting:

And here is this year:

Strawberries are not particularly difficult to grow but they need good rich soil. I start off with a compost mushroom soil mix and add a natural slow releasing fertilizer when planting. Before planting it’s probably a good idea to trim the roots back around 6” and soak the plants in bowl of water for a few minutes first. The key is NOT to plant too deep. The crown (where the stem meets the roots) should be at ground level. Plant the strawberries 12-18” apart.

Do not expect strawberries the first year. Any flowers that form the first year should be pinched so the energy goes into forming a healthy plant. If your plants are healthy they will grow like crazy and runners will form new crowns as the plants spread. If the plants grow too much you may want to cut back to keep the strawberry patch contained but that is up to you. By the second year you should be picking plenty of strawberries.

I generally cut back the old sick looking leaves during the summer after the strawberries have produced, apply some compost, and put a light fertilizer down to encourage the formation of new crowns. Crowns will only produce a few years but I have found if you take care of the patch by applying compost and fertilizer every year the formation of new crowns will keep things going a long time. I also spread shredded leaves around the plants in the autumn to protect the crowns in case of a harsh winter. Early the next spring I remove the excess leaves and fertilize again.

The biggest problem I have encountered is pill bugs and slugs. These seem to be worse if it is a rainy spring (as this year in my location). There may also be a lot of rotten berries in a rainy pattern. You could try putting newspaper or plastic (although I do not use any plastic in my garden) around the plants to keep the berries off the ground but if your plants are thick this may be difficult. Here's a pill bug:

If you have problems with birds, dropping a net over the plants will not hurt them.

When berries are coming in you need to pick every day for about 3-4 weeks and then they are generally finished until next year. There are ever bearing varieties that are supposed to produce through the summer but I haven’t had much luck with that.

Well that’s all I got on strawberries. Comment, upvote, resteem, etc.. you know all that good stuff. Let me know if you have questions or if you have anything to add. Thanks.