Strawberries...alternative to straw mulching?

[Welsh76]

I just re-read and noticed that you have your plants already in situ; half of my plants were like that so I pegged the end of the weed mat down and lay it over the strawberry plants and cut X's and carefully poked the strawberry plants through.

I only had about a dozen in situ so I'm not sure if that option is open to you.

[Nicos]

Hmmm...yep...complicated....
There must be well over a couple of hundred plants dotted randomly
Plus a couple of blueberry bushes and gooseberry bushes , and...wait for it....a bay tree!
All packed into that square....

I suppose I'm trying to create some order and care and attention as they don't fruit prolifically due to lack of water...frost...voles, blackbirds,...foxes...tourists helping themselves
I leave them to spread on their own and replace oldies with the new babies they produce....

I just feel it's time I was a better mommy!

[Muddy_Boots]

Tried straw last year and it didn't stop the weeds, got wet, rotted, was a b*tch to remove and like others ..... never again. This year I'm trying wood chippings from the Hawthorn and Ash trees I had removed by my tree surgeon mate from the pub I drink at. Hoping this time its not such a disaster and I get a good crop from them, already noticed some are in flower its nothing gained if I don't try something else to suppress any weeds and retain the moisture in the soil if we get a heat wave.

[JusPotterinTim]

I use bark chips around my strawbs in beds and pots. It helps to keep the berries cleaner and reduce watering needs a bit, and prevent the soil in pots from getting baked as much on hot days. I must admit I did use slug pellets though as it doesn't seem to deter them completely, although I didn't lay a deep layer of bark so there were soil 'paths' along which they could reach the plants.

The stuff I used is the coarse Homebase bark, like this: http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...---100l-317006

[samthor1]

Carpet samples!!! I go online where you can get free carpet samples wich measure 4sq inch up to 12sq inch. You get the 100% pure wool ones wich are eco friendly and break down naturally over the years, I choose samples wich are earth coloured to blend in with the soil, just place them around any plant to provide a mulch!

[JusPotterinTim]

What a great idea Sam! Do you peg them down at all or do they stay in place?