Strawberry bins/towers

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I am still in quest of the strawberry garden. I saw an interesting idea in Gardener's Supply Co. catalog and I am interested in other's input. They have what is listed as a strawberry bin, that looks similar in concept to the potato bins they used to sell; bolt together tough black plastic material with holes in the sides that you put the plants through. THey say 50 plants per bin in a 13" diameter tower, 30" high.

In zone 3, I have a feeling that this is asking a BIT much of winter hardiness! I have been playing with the idea of the shrub 'jackets' sold in the fall to wrap over vulnerable shrubs and such that is touted to raise the winter hardiness a full zone. It is tempting to try this for the sake of space utilization, and they are recommending 'Tristar' for it, which Jung's also recommends as a good cultivar for most of Wisconsin.

Any input from other northerners?

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Answers

All I know is I've had trouble with vertical gardens.Friends have as well. Too dry on top,too wet on bottom.Howerer they are useful for herbs, if you plant drought tolerant ones on top and water loving ones on bottom.Don't know what the one your mentioning looks like, but sounds like a vertical one?

We tried a day neutral,can't remember now if it was tristar. Not pleased with results. U .K. horticulture specialist from the experimental farm here in E.Ky. concurred with my results. He doesn't recommend them. But my climate is different from yours.Maybe they work better elsewhere.

I'm going to try Polly's recommended Jewel,next year.

I grow alpines in the north and east foundation gardens bc they take the part shade.They produce a few berries all season long,excepting hottest part of summer.Does that help?

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001


hi julie, we have experimented with different ways to grow strawberries for years and were never happy with anything we tryed except in patches on the ground,heavily mulched. We have tryed Tristar and didn't like the taste, size or quality of the berry. (mich.)

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

Darn. I always hope that some of these new brilliant ideas are going to be an improvement over the old way...foo. THey usually aren't. I'd forgotten about the soil washing out of the strawberry jar holes when I planted herbs in them. These towers don't even have the little cups at the bottom that some of the terra cotta ones have, so I think I'll forego these as too much bother and wait to see how others do. I noticed that they weren't selling the potato bins designed along the same lines anymore...hm...now WHY might THAT be? Probably having the same problems! I've got pretty sandy soil around here and have been working to add things that will hold the moisture a bit more, and trying bio-intensive methods to help out and it DOES to some extent. Guess I'll bite the bullet and devote horizontal space to the fruit crop!

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001

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