Strawberry Patch Uncovered

We pulled the heavy straw winter mulch off the strawberry patch a few days ago. Then it rained for two days and we were gone for one. Today was my first chance to get out there to see what needed to be done to shape it up for the season.

The patch is full of weeds. There are huge, healthy dandelions growing smack-dab in the middle of where strawberry plants should be. The plants are puny, withered and dead. Bet we don't have more than two or three live plants in the while 20' x 16' area.

There's something you should know. I say this every single year at this time. I threaten to plow up the whole patch and start over every single year at this time. I also eventually decide to quit my bellyachin', get busy, clean up the patch and give it two weeks to show some signs of life . . . every single year at this time. Which it invariably does, and I wonder what I was worried about.

So this afternoon I put on my big girl panties, took my tools, and audio book out into the garden and worked for an hour and a half before the raindrops drove me in. Got one and a half of the four double rows done. Can't say the plants look a lot better but having gotten the weeds out makes me feel better. At the rate I'm going, only 'bout six and a half more hours and the whole patch will be cleaned. Then I'll till the perimeter and wide rows inbetween the double rows, mulch around the plants with sawdust and between the rows with straw mulch. It will be a beauteous sight. Maybe the plants will even have greened up a little by then. I'll take a picture!