Plant This Now & Have Fruit For Years, by Justin Rhodes on YouTube. 12 min 59 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 59 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a raised bed that gets full sun and drains well. Strawberries rot in soggy soil, so a bed that dries out after rain is the right choice.
Fill the bed with a mix of garden soil and compost. Leave the surface level about 5 cm below the rim so you can water without spilling.
Plant the asparagus crowns first, about 30 cm apart, with the roots spread out and the crown just under the soil.
Set the strawberries between the asparagus rows, about 30 cm apart in each direction. Keep the crown of each plant level with the soil, not buried.
Firm the soil around each plant with your hands and water the whole bed until it is damp but not puddled.
Spread straw or mulch around the plants, leaving a small gap around each crown so it does not rot.
Water the bed when the top 2 cm of soil feels dry. Do not let the bed sit wet going into frost.
If frost is coming within a week, cover the bed with a row cover or old sheet overnight and remove it in the morning.
Tips and common mistakes
Asparagus roots need room, so plant the crowns before you fill in the strawberries.
Keep the strawberry crowns above the soil line. Buried crowns are the most common reason new plants die.
Do not harvest strawberries in the first year. Let the plants build roots and you get better fruit later.
Netting or row cover also keeps chickens and dogs off a new bed.
Questions
Can strawberries and asparagus really grow in the same bed?
Yes. Asparagus roots go deep and strawberries stay near the surface, so they use different layers of soil. Give each plant its own spacing and both can stay for years.
How do I protect new strawberry plants from frost?
Cover the bed with a row cover or a light sheet overnight when frost is forecast. Take it off in the morning so the plants get light and air.
When will I get fruit?
Expect a small crop in the second year and a full crop after that. Asparagus spears are usually ready to cut in the second or third spring.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
