What are the decorative and beneficial complimentary plants to put in a new strawberry patch
What are the decorative and beneficial complimentary plants to put in a new strawberry patch
0 Answers
KelleyG wrote on :
Thanks for all of the answers. Since it’s my front lawn I do want to add something decorative. The strawberries are a mixture, most are ever-bearing. I planted them hastily into my veg garden last year and they have now taken over completely. My goal was always to give the strawberries their very own sunny bed in my under-used front yard, while making them an attractive addition at the same time. I am now on the hunt for borage as I have plenty of Egyptian onions and marigolds grow easily here, usually I grow them from seed.
Thanks again everyone!
Greenwoman wrote on :
Kelley, I use Comfrey as a companion plant for edibles throughout my garden. It is a super herb, lovely to grow, and very beneficial. Good luck and happy gardening, Pam
pattib wrote on :
Caraway “carum carvi” planted with strawberries attracts parasitic wasps and flies. helping to protect against parasites. Borage “Borage Officenalis” attracts honeybees and predatory insects. It repels many garden pests. Strawberries like spinach both on the plate and in the garden. They also like beans, lettuce, onions and thyme which makes an excellent border to keep away worms also attracts bees. Marigolds are good everywhere, they emit a pesticidal chemical ,that keeps many bugs away. Bee Balm is another good choice. And depending on where you are planting, they also love bush beans and peas. They don’t like cruciferous veggies like cabbage and brussel sprouts. Lupine helps strawberries by fixing nitrogen in the soil thereby fertilizing neighboring plants. Hope some of this helps.
Shirley Farley wrote on :
I agree with htwollin…a strawberry patch expands exponentially. Except, the first year you can inter-plant marigolds which deter nematodes and add color. They’re annuals so by the time you are ready to establish runners they will be ready to go. Onions are helpful in a berry patch because they deter pests, the decorative alliums would serve the same purpose and can be quite pretty. Borage with its star shaped blue flowers and cucumber flavor (great added to salads) is a traditional companion for strawberries. Or, you could plant some of the gorgeous red lettuces. Like marigolds they’ll be gone in time to accommodate expansion.
Helene Wollin wrote on :
Kelley – I assume you are talking about some sort of decorative strawberry plants such as ‘fraises de bois’ or something like that rather than actually putting in a whole load of a variety such as ‘sparkle’ which is a production strawberry. If you are talking about production strawberries (that is, you are putting in a patch to produce a lot of strawberries all at once or even using ‘ever-bearers’ or something like that, I have to say (my opinion) that there are no decorative or beneficial complimentary plants for strawberry beds because what you do is that as the once the bed is established, you peg out the runners to make new plants and fill in the bed entirely and then every 3-4 years, you rip all the old plants out, fill in with new ones and so on. Putting in something else along with the strawberries will only compete with the strawberries and your berry plants will not get the nourishment they need.
Shelley Sparks wrote on :
One of the beneficial plants to add to your strawberry patch is borage. Borage will increase the flavor and quantity of your strawberries and helps to add positive trace minerals to the soil.