Growing Up with Strawberries – Part 2
This post is a continuation to that of April 30th when I declared my intention to build a vertical growing frame, tower, call it what you will for my first attempt at growing strawberries. Assuming all goes according to plan launch date will be about 4 months hence.
Spring can’t come soon enough!
The current status of my “strawberry tower”
The timber used is some odd bits and pieces left over from previous projects. Shown above is the base which will be partially buried and pinned down so it doesn’t topple onto some unsuspecting gardener “namely me”.
Rising from the base the upright will boast eight arms upon which the clay pipes will rest. This afternoon I made a hurried visit to a local scrap metal dealer to scrounge some aluminium from which I will fashion 30 mm bands to secure these pipes.
In theory it should all work fine.
Once that’s completed I will need to give thought as to how I keep the planting mix in place in the pipes as well as a method for watering and applying fertilizer.
Some fine weather over the next few days is all that’s needed to bring this project to a successful conclusion.
Tonight’s forecast predicts sunshine for the week end so I have my green fingers and toes crossed.
Hope they’re right.
If you shop around you can be pleasantly surprised how little it costs to build a structure like this.
18 Clay pipes purchased on Trade Me $17.00 … still have a further 10.
Aluminium $5.00.
Timber has an approximate value of $10.00 to $12.00 but as its been in my surplus wood pile for years it doesn’t count.
All this just goes to prove that having a great garden doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise especially when you’re prepared to beg, bargain or borrow.
That’s also part of the fun of vegetable gardening.
Please feel free to leave a comment as I’m very much a newbie when it comes to growing strawberries. Would love to hear of your insights and experiences concerning these flavour some fruits and what varieties you’ve grown.
Favourite Quotes:
The toughest part of getting to the top of the ladder is getting through the crowd at the bottom. Anon
This post has 3 comments
April 10th, 2010
Hi Rodney,
looks like a neat idea, but I can’t find out how you actually planted them up. (Except for the picture in the garden bed). Is it on a project page? By the way, grew a crop of Alpine strawberries for several years, over the side of a dingy (my herb garden),these are white and turn cream when they are ripe. Small but really sweet. (If you get to taste them and don’t have a child who eats them all before you have a chance). Well worth trying. Den.
April 10th, 2010
These plants were surplus to the ones I planted in the garden. Just blocked one end of the pipe and then filled it with rich compost and potting mix. Strawberries grew OK but tended to dry out during the summer. Need to make a better job of blocking up the end of the pipe so that moisture is retained.
April 12th, 2010
Thanks, Rodney. Thought maybe the drainage was going into the next pipe – a bit like hydroponics. Being like a terracotta pot it will dry out quickly, maybe you should get some non toxic paint or wrap them to stop the moisture evaporating. Bet they looked great when they were flowering.