OLD-FASHIONED COMPANION PLANTING

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If you do want to try growing from seed, production will be delayed an extra year while you grow seedlings in a nursery row for conventional transplantation. Burpee sells Mary Washington seed (along with its roots and roots of Jersey Giant and UC 157). But so far, seed is the only way so far to obtain Viking KB3, a new hybrid widely adapted for heat and temperature extremes and recommended for both the Great White North and for the South. It was developed and is sold by the Canadian seed house, Stokes.

In asparagus rows, dig a trench 1.5 feet deep and wide, mounding soil in a 6 inch high ridge down the middle.

Strawberries

For luscious red fruit that begin to appear when the asparagus is almost gone by, set strawberry plants between the rows of asparagus roots. The berry plants do well if planted one foot apart, in rows two feet apart. Since asparagus is spaced two feet apart in rows the same distance apart, purchase twice as many strawberry plants as you have asparagus roots.

Like commercial asparagus roots, one-year-old strawberry plants are dug in the fall and stored bare-root over winter for sale in early spring. Bundles of 25 go for $5.00 to $12.00. Traditional June-bearers turn out one large spring crop and come in the largest variety for the widest range of growing conditions. Everbearers produce a large crop in June and a single, smaller crop of smaller fruit in the fall. Ozark Beauty is a widely adapted everbearing variety. The new Day-Neutral varieties set and ripen berries year round, with a larger crop at one end of the season, or the other, or both.

I've tried them all and find that I get more seed than berry anytime but June. I keep experimenting with new varieties; but for guaranteed pies, jam, and pigging out on vine-ripe berries, eaten out of hand in the berry patch, I stay with June-bearers. Most are self-pollinating; but to be sure you get a good crop, plant at least two varieties. Buy plants locally or get Raynor's and other strawberry growers' catalogs advertised in Mother. Grow several varieties recommended for your area. If one proves to be far superior, transplant its runner-born plantlets out into your entire bed. Or (as is best every five years anyway) buy all new disease free parent stock and renew the bed. In gardens located from Central Pennsylvania to Northern Michigan to Coastal Maine, I've never found a more reliable strawberry variety than Sparkle.

Spread strawberry roots so that they're alt covered, but just the bottom of the bud is well underground.

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