Way OT- Strawberrys

[Bret4207]

I know it's late in the season, but would anyone have 50-75 June bearing strawberry plants, maybe this years bearors that you intend to get rid, they want to sell to me? Honyoye preferred, most anything is OK.

Also looking for some raspberrys for Zone 4-5.

[357maximum]

Bret

When we started our patch o berries I simply went to a friendly local roadside U_PICK_THE_ BERRIES stand and asked if I could harvest some delinquent runners....I bought a few quarts of berries and had the plants for free....mine are a junebearer of some sort, but unsure of the particular make model and serial number. Shipping plants would be an endeavor in frustration I think....

[kywoodwrkr]

Bret,
I hope you have the same good luck my father had with them.
I swear, he could broadcast old dry plants about and they would sprout and take root and flourish.
I've tried planting strawberries, blueberries and other plants and have very very few to show for my effort(and $).
My dad was ruthless with the plants though.
At the end of the season he'd take a tiller to the patch and I swear it looked like he had killed them all off.
Then he'd take the shreds and replant them and the next year he had a tremendous crop again.
He recently passed away, at 93, and had his last crop two years ago.
He'd been farming since he was 17. By farming, I mean on his own, not helping his dad and etc.
I wish I had access to dad's last strawberry plot.
I'd send you some of the best plants I've ever seen.
My sister sold his house and etc last February.
Good luck with the strawberries.
My experience with wild strawberries has always been just picking them.
Sweetest berries I've ever enjoyed.
Again, good luck.
DaveP kywoodwrkr

[Four Fingers of Death]

We have an old Scottish guy here in town, he used to grow excelleny strawberries, he bought a big bucket into work with a big bucket of ice cream, boy what a great lunch.

He grows tomatoes and they were the nicest tomatoes I have ever had (and I've grown some beauties). He used and excellent method of saving seeds, Whenevr he was eating a really good tomato he would take a few of the seeds and smear them on a bit of newspaper. When it came time to plant, he tore of a bit of paper with the seed stuck to it and planted the lot. Clever or what?

I'll visit him come spring and get a few seeds off him now that I'm back home for good.

Mick.

[Scrounger]

Unfortunately, most of the tomatoes sold here, and packages of seed as well, are hybrids and will not reproduce from saved seeds. If we want to reproduce from seeds, we must make sure the originals are not hybrid.

[Buckshot]

...........We've become realistic with strawberries. Have a small 3x3 raised bed and it can still be too much. Out in the canyon I put in a 12x12 raised bed and before I knew it we were drowned in the dang things. I'd come home from work and pick a gallon. Take'm into the house and dump yesterdays gallon in the trash and put the new one in the fridge in it's place.

The neighbors almost began siccing their dogs on me when they saw me coming up the road with a paper sack.

..............Buckshot

[Bret4207]

6 kids, neighbor across the road has 5 or 6 hanging around depending on which grandkids are there. I don't think it'll be a problem.

[357maximum]

You ever hear of the zuccinni alliance?


Some neighborhoods actually have a drawn up plan as to who gets to plant zuccinni, and how many plants they can put out..all in the name of putting a limit the amount of the tasty veggie in the area.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I buy some seeds from the stores (cherry tomatoes, etc), but in the main I buy from a seed savers network. There are a couple of companies here in Australia who buy seeds from gardners and also raise their own non hybrid stuff.

The idea being you grow these plants and save the seeds from the best fruit/whatever and re plant next year. Over a few years, you have a seed that has evolved to work well in your area.

The company I deal with is Pheonix Seeds. I don't think they can export to the states, but do a search on seed savers network, moter earth magazine, etc and maybe visit Pheonix seeds and see if there are any yankee links. I have been travelling around with work for four years and nursing my wife for the last year. That is all behind me now and I'm getting back growing organic, non-hybrid veges this year!!! Spring here is same time as your fall, I'm glad you reminded me of it, I have some work to do.

Mick.