hugelkultur strawberries?

I want to plant some strawberries this year. I am interested in the strawberry tree. I know that strawberries require fast draining soil but it looks like the tree idea would be drain and stay to dry at least on top.

I recently put in a few raised beds using the hugelkultur practices on a small scale. I have considered using this idea as well but I would to tier the beds.

Any links, pictures, or ideas?

Thanks!

The strawberry tree?

Google the strawberry tree.

Which one of these strawberry tree or do you mean the regular groundcover strawberry?

Arbutus menziesii (Ericaceae), commonly known as the Pacific Madrone, native to the west coast of North America;
Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae), native to western Europe and the Mediterranean basin;
Muntingia calabura (Malvaceae), native to the American tropics;
Myrica rubra (Myricaceae), referred to as the Chinese strawberry tree.

Since you start off talking about actual strawberries, I get the impression that you're not talking about strawberry trees so much as some kind of strawberry pot or structure...?

Maybe some kind of strawberry tower or even a more classical strawberry pot? Or maybe you're thinking of some kind of structure made with climbing strawberries?

It would work with strawberry plants. They love hugelkultur. The roots are shallow so it doesn't take much work to make them happy in either a tower structure or beds.

strawberries shouldn't be around PRUNUS (for some reason, not sure why). I have some coming in spring and was going to plant them near prunus, now I have to figure out a different place to put the little buggers. I know they can take a woodsy edge as wild strawberries grow in shade and acid soil

Brenda Groth wrote:strawberries shouldn't be around PRUNUS (for some reason, not sure why). I have some coming in spring and was going to plant them near prunus, now I have to figure out a different place to put the little buggers. I know they can take a woodsy edge as wild strawberries grow in shade and acid soil

That's interesting, Brenda. Any idea how close "around' means? Naturally, the spot I've cornered off for cherries, plums and peaches is over by the land I've earmarked for what I currently call my asparagus and strawberry terraces...

Emma Fredsdotter wrote:

Brenda Groth wrote:strawberries shouldn't be around PRUNUS (for some reason, not sure why). I have some coming in spring and was going to plant them near prunus, now I have to figure out a different place to put the little buggers. I know they can take a woodsy edge as wild strawberries grow in shade and acid soil

That's interesting, Brenda. Any idea how close "around' means? Naturally, the spot I've cornered off for cherries, plums and peaches is over by the land I've earmarked for what I currently call my asparagus and strawberry terraces...

We have an established strawberry bed that is about 8 feet away from our cherry tree. Both are doing well. From spring to fall, there is generally a mix of different plants between the cherry tree and the strawberry bed. I don't know if this makes a difference. This mixture varies year to year, but usually includes grapes, lettuces, brassicas, squashes (both summer and winter), cilantro (which is established as a "weed" in our yard, and tomatoes. The strawberry bed is a monoculture (although with several varieties so it bears throughout the summer. It was established by my husband before I got interested in Permaculture.

He still wants to maintain some of his monoculture raised beds, while I am busy making seed mixtures and broadcasting them willy nilly throughout the yard. I have had a lot of success with my mixtures of greens, radishes, carrots, cilantro and lettuces. The hugel Kultur bed I established last Fall has a polyculture. The new one I am building and will plant for spring will too. We'll see if I can get him converted over to polyculture. At any rate, I am establishing areas of polyculture all around his raised beds.

Julie

S Bengi wrote:Which one of these strawberry tree or do you mean the regular groundcover strawberry?

Arbutus menziesii (Ericaceae), commonly known as the Pacific Madrone, native to the west coast of North America;
Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae), native to western Europe and the Mediterranean basin;
Muntingia calabura (Malvaceae), native to the American tropics;
Myrica rubra (Myricaceae), referred to as the Chinese strawberry tree.

what about the hymalayan strawberry tree??? i didnt have much success with them frost knocked them
i think strawbebbies like it Around pine thees

Cornus kousa or Benthamidia kousa
Ive fallen for this tree this past yr. edible but not super tastey (plain) birds love it.

Strawberry plants are only good for 3 years you have to replace them with a herb because they makes the soil have too much nematodes you could try extending that to 5yrs with onion family and non runninng strawberry (alpine/wild) .

We plant strawberry runners as groundcover everywere, I didn't know that they have to stay away from the prunus family though. Like that the birds and the kids have more work finding them. Some are in shade too. What is usually called strawberry tree is arbutus unedo and it is said to taste pretty terrible.