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Post by Michael on Dec 5, 2011 15:22:17 GMT -6
I was always under the impression that you wack them down with the weed eater and cover them with STRAW(hence the name). But I was reading something somewhere and they did not mention cutting them down or not and it looked like the pictures showed them mulching on top of uncut plants. What should I do?
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Post by Rita on Dec 5, 2011 15:36:37 GMT -6
I was always under the impression that you wack them down with the weed eater and cover them with STRAW(hence the name). But I was reading something somewhere and they did not mention cutting them down or not and it looked like the pictures showed them mulching on top of uncut plants. What should I do? I don't cut mine down ever .. just mulch over the top and you should be good to go  |
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Post by mogarden on Dec 6, 2011 4:59:43 GMT -6
Considering that they've been called "strawberries" long before weed-eaters were invented, I'd say mulch, don't cut.
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Post by jerseycub on Dec 6, 2011 8:23:17 GMT -6
I agree with everyone about weed wackin yer strawberries it just doesn't make sense to do that unless you don't want them to multiply and then all ya have to do is cut the runners at the end of season.
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Post by coppice on Dec 6, 2011 11:55:02 GMT -6
The busy part of strawberry that comes back in the spring looks pretty corm-y (if that the right word).
I never cut my strawberries down, I only added mulch on top of them. They came back just fine. I'm not so sure I'd be willing to try cutting them down.
Plants that I do cut down after they are spent (but are perrenial) like asparagus; I cut down to take off some of the over wintering pests--like asparagus beetle eggs.
This kinda regular over-wintering infestation is not something that affects strawberry.
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Post by Michael on Dec 6, 2011 15:09:19 GMT -6
Plants that I do cut down after they are spent (but are perrenial) like asparagus; I cut down to take off some of the over wintering pests--like asparagus beetle eggs. This kinda regular over-wintering infestation is not something that affects strawberry. So no weed eating thank god. Do you see any benefit to the asparagus other than pest control? |
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Post by Pharmer Phil on Dec 7, 2011 6:42:35 GMT -6
we need to allocate a bigger-better spot for our small patch of berries... we don't get many...sometimes I think we keep them for the birds  No need to cut them back..but I have seen them both cut back (mowed about 2 inches off the ground) and I have seen Our old dog trample em' under their mulch...looking for a "nice spot" to lay in the sun... neither seemed to effect them any Coppice, I agree with the cutting back the asparagus...but it usually gets forgotten in the rush to get everything done...so..actually, it's about this time of year (after a couple inch snow cover) that I burn the tops off...DIE ASPARAGUS BEETLES teach em' to winter over we don't have a large srand, but plenty for the 2 of Us..plus, the area is, and always has been farmed by the local canning companies... Asparagus escaped and naturalized all over the area, fence rows are lined with asparagus... So, in season..both Laura and I can be seen (Excuse me Euell Gibbons) Stalking the Wild Asparagus... probably the first book I ever read cover to cover that I wasn't told to read |
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Post by jack on Dec 8, 2011 19:07:10 GMT -6
Gidday
O.K. you jokers are bedding your plants down for winter but we down here are just starting to harvest them.
My question is this, what do you do with surplus strawberries? Like how can you preserve them cost I believe that they don't like the freezer too much.
The only other thing I can think of trying is the dehydrater.
Any suggestions for me to try?
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Post by Rita on Dec 8, 2011 20:17:51 GMT -6
Jack strawberries freeze pretty well .. I will try and find a procedure for you .. you can also make some jam ... you can also dehydrate them but I would think they would lose some flavor in the process  |
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Post by jack on Dec 9, 2011 3:05:20 GMT -6
Gidday
Thanks. Trouble with jam is we don't really eat much jam at all. Too sweet for this sour old rough country boy.
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Post by mogarden on Dec 9, 2011 5:03:31 GMT -6
As a child I ate strawberries "canned' in jars. They do lose some color and possibly nutrition but it is another possible way of dealing with excess. I don't know but suspect they were water-bathed, since they're high in acid. Might be worth a try.
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Post by jerseycub on Dec 9, 2011 7:58:25 GMT -6
Gidday O.K. you jokers are bedding your plants down for winter but we down here are just starting to harvest them. My question is this, what do you do with surplus strawberries? Like how can you preserve them cost I believe that they don't like the freezer too much. The only other thing I can think of trying is the dehydrater. Any suggestions for me to try? Yes I can thing of one. Send them to me and Ill eatum  Just funnin Jack. I don't see why you cant freeze them we have bought frozen strawberry's in the market. Dehydrating is a good Idea and making preserves is good I'm sure some one here has recipes. |
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Post by jerseycub on Dec 9, 2011 8:01:56 GMT -6
Don't know how my reply got caught in your quote Jack, that was weird. Must be my puter. Yes I can thing of one. Send them to me and Ill eatum [image] [image] Just funnin Jack. I don't see why you cant freeze them we have bought frozen strawberry's in the market. Dehydrating is a good Idea and making preserves is good I'm sure some one here has recipes. |
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Post by coppice on Dec 9, 2011 8:11:19 GMT -6
FWIW I come from a candy making family, dried strawberries go into fondant...
My grandmother, father, and daughter are-were the candy makers. I don't have the bump...
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Post by jack on Dec 9, 2011 12:32:23 GMT -6
Gidday
Eat too many candies and my bump out under my belt would grow even bigger.
Thanks.
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Post by Rita on Dec 9, 2011 14:27:26 GMT -6
How to Dehydrate Strawberries Couldn’t be simpler: slice and dry. Making the Best of Basics recommended steaming for a minute, but in a side-by-side test with untreated berries, I found the results to be exactly the same. Skip the pre-treat for strawberries. Mine generally take about 6-8 hours, but if you go overboard, they’re still tasty, just a little more chewy/crunchy. Unless you are a perfectly consistent slicer, you’ll probably have to remove some strawberries before they’re all 100% finished. Your berries may take longer than mine, too, if you slice them thicker than 1/8-1/4″. Fruit rolls: Particularly if you’ve been lucky enough to pick strawberries, you’ll have some that are getting mushy before you can process them. A fruit roll or fruit leather is a perfect way to be able to use up on-its-way-out fruit, and the preparation is generally easier than any other method of preservation. After an hour of washing, hulling, and slicing strawberries for dehydrated chips or frozen fruit, you’ll be glad to simply toss some fruit in a blender, pour the liquid onto a dehydrator sheet or parchment paper, set your dehydrator to 135F, and walk away for 4-12 hours. Cool trick: You can even leave the leaves on. I’m not kidding. Just wash the berries, throw them in the blender, get ‘em mashed to a pulp so you can’t see the green stuff anymore, and pour carefully onto parchment paper. Just don’t drip strawberry puree all the way down your carpeted stairs like I did last week! I highly recommend pouring next to your dehydrator instead of carrying the full trays…  The sheets available for the Excalibur are called Paraflexx, and they are coated with Teflon to be non-stick. I spoke with the company on this, and they were quick to point out that it’s a non-chemical Teflon that has no adhesive involved; it’s apparently the adhesive that off-gasses when talking non-stick pots or pans. This will never flake or scratch off. Excalibur also sells a vegetable-based parchment paper that is renewable and compostable as an alternative option. I was very impressed by their status as a “green” company. You can just tell when talking to someone if they understand how to be eco-friendly, and Excalibur certainly has a handle on that. However, I couldn’t find it on the website. |
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Post by jack on Dec 9, 2011 18:13:23 GMT -6
Gidday
Thank you very very much Rita.
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Post by Rita on Dec 9, 2011 18:35:35 GMT -6
Gidday Thank you very very much Rita. Your very welcome Jack |
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The sheets available for the Excalibur are called Paraflexx, and they are coated with Teflon to be non-stick. I spoke with the company on this, and they were quick to point out that it’s a non-chemical Teflon that has no adhesive involved; it’s apparently the adhesive that off-gasses when talking non-stick pots or pans. This will never flake or scratch off. Excalibur also sells a vegetable-based parchment paper that is renewable and compostable as an alternative option. I was very impressed by their status as a “green” company. You can just tell when talking to someone if they understand how to be eco-friendly, and Excalibur certainly has a handle on that. However, I couldn’t find it on the website.