Dateline: 29 June 2013
It was exactly one week ago that I posted an essay here titled Strawberries of The Largest & Finest Quality (The E.P. Roe Way). I have been picking strawberries, grown the "E.P. Roe way" from my experimental hugelkultur tire beds every day since then. I am amazed at the amount of berries that I'm getting each day from only a few plants. And the berries continue to be mostly of a large size.
E.P. Roe really did know how to grow strawberries of the largest and finest quality, and I think he would be pleased to see his methods combined with the hugelkultur concept.
You can learn all about E.P. Roe's methods for growing strawberries of the largest and finest quality from The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners. And once you have a copy, you'll find out how to get to the "hidden" online Resources web site for the book, where I show and tell more about my remarkably productive little hugelkultur tire beds.
Oh, and by the way, there really is some oatmeal under those strawberries.
Ok so I have gingerly glimpsed through my book, being very afraid to wrinkle it, crease it, drip tea on it, the list goes on. I even keep putting it back in the shipping envelope to protect it (its a work of art ya know). So now as I'm reading your post on the strawberries (and looking out at my pathetic plot) I've decided to find the link to the secret website and really read the book. I just put it on the table in front of me and creased back the cover! It's killing me because its so beautiful, reminds me of the old Mother Earth News or the Lehmans Hardware Catalog, so much to look at my eyes can't decide where to go, lol.
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin & Beth,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice feedback.
I made the book in old-fashioned, non-electronic format so people can wrinkle and crease and really use it. It's more valuable if used than it will be if you save it in pristine condition. :-)
I've been growing strawberries off and on since I was 17 years old. I was, I'm sure, inspired back then by a Mother Earth News article.
The E.P. Roe single-plant, summer-sown, strawberry-growing system, combined with hugelkultur tire beds is, based on my experience, an idea that is not only simple to do, but remarkably productive and rewarding.
Right now is an excellent time to get started on a few beds so you can enjoy "strawberries of the largest and finest quality" next year.