Strawberries...alternative to straw mulching?

[Nicos]

Now my strawberry patch is weed free, I'm wanting to mulch it.(it's about 12' x12')

What do you use -and why?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of what you use?

I have a field of cut grass which is drying nicely but won't dry fully before the rains come, but it's full of weeds in seed, so I'm reluctant to use it.Plus I am aware it doesn't drain in the way straw does.
Wood chippings I can make from hazel twigs...I could buy a bale of straw....but I can't dig up the area and replant through a membrane.
We don't have a massive slug problem in that bed at the moment....

so...advice please!...what do you use and why?

[Snadger]

My strawberry bed on my other plot had no bird protection and no straw around plants. I still had a good crop of slug free strawberries.
I find straw tends to get damp and is a perfect hiding place for slugs.

[Bigmallly]

I'm with Snadge, I think Stawberries fair better when off the ground. I have use "Y" shaped twigs to hold them off the floor.

[veggiechicken]

Why do you mulch it with straw?
Is it to keep the fruit clean or keep the weeds down?

[Nicos]

Several reasons really...

- to keep it weed free
-plus as it's in full sun from 2pm onwards it turns to dust and I need to keep watering it as the fruit ripens... so I want to cut down on the water consumption as well as the effort of having to water it almost daily!
-not bothered about keeping the fruit clean tbh.
- and nope , I can't relocate it .....all my garden is in full sun for about 95% of the day, and that which is sheltered from the sun is also sheltered from the rain

[Thelma Sanders]

I thought they were on straw to lift the fruits off the damp ground, and to stop mud splashing up on them hence 'straw' berries haha

You can buy mulch or fibre mats to do the same, I've used DIY cardboard collars in the past, to good effect. (still need some slug pellets or traps though!)

[Nicos]

Oh...and I've never mulched it.....I just thought straw might be the best choice as it's fairly free draining!

Any ideas are muchly appreciated!

[Nicos]

Ah right...I thought it was for helping to retain soil moisture and blocking weeds....!

[1Bee]

Every time I use straw it gets sodden and rots...

[burnie]

The professionals round here make a raised bed, then cover it with plastic and then cut a cross and plant the strawbs in the raised bed. These are under poly tunnels for the growing season and don't seem to get any watering or feeding, the poly tunnels are removed after fruiting.

[Elfeda]

I prefered straw, and hope it substitutes the manure for coming years. last year I found lots of slugs under straw in the height of summer but fruit was clean. all the veg beds mulched with straw this year. hope slugs take the shelter but not step on damage my other crops .

[Bren In Pots]

I use strips of membrane crisscrossed between the plants with some organic slug pellets underneath.

[Jungle Jane]

I use straw but only enough to keep the strawberries off the ground. I don't like plastic because slugs love wet plastic but have French marigolds nearby to attract them & deal with them at night. That's a big area though,I'd try to have some grass cuttings that don't contain weeds & scatter that thinly first,then a bit of straw?

[Greenleaves]

I can not see the benefit apart for commercial growers who want a clean crop. Membrane helps keep the weeds down but creates the perfect home for pests.

My view will differ from others but doesn't mean one way is right and the other is not

[Mr Bones]

We tried straw but it blew away (windy site), then debris net pegged between the plants but slugs loved it so the last two years we've mulched with wood chips and it's been successful.
The patch is six rows of ten plants which are renewed every other year from runners (three rows this year and three the next) and are fed with chicken manure pellets and later comfrey tea. Another plus is they hardly need watering.