All the best tips for successfully growing organic strawberries??

[Elizabeth C]

Transplanting my strawberries to a bigger patch this year, and have already got good advice and a soil test for making the ground good.
Now I just want to make sure I have a game plan for doing everything I can to get as many berries as possible this year—but all organically, no chemicals or pesticides. I live in Western PA, don’t know if that makes a difference. I think I’ll have at least 150 plants.
I got berries last year from less plants (will have more this time because of the runners), but I’m pretty sure those plants could have been capable of producing a lot more, from what I’ve heard how strawberries produce if grown well.

-Going to put black plastic down before planting for weed prevention
-Going to cover the whole patch with bird netting and also make sure it’s rabbit proof by tacking the netting down
-Already planning to spray them with seaweed, how often should I do that?
-Going to possibly plant onions in with them if I can find my seeds.
-Planning to spray also with oregano oil water and peppermint oil too.
-What’s the best slug deterrent?

Thanks! Strawberries is all I’m doing this year as I’m expecting my third baby right in the middle of garden season, but I want to make sure I get the strawberries right!!

 

[redback]

Thanks! Strawberries is all I’m doing this year as I’m expecting my third baby right in the middle of garden season, but I want to make sure I get the strawberries right!!

Congrats on the baby.
Seaweed at planting time and every two weeks after that. If you forget don't worry - but when they start to flower it is normal to give them a dose then to enhance fruiting.
Apart from onions try the smelly herbs like thyme, basil, cilantro, garlic, chilies, oregano and marjoram scattered about in between the plants to confuse pests with their smell. Having a polyculture rather than a monoculture is highly recommended by the microbiome scientists, so add flowers that you like in between rows (or on the perimeter) as well.
I'm an organic grower but some snail pellets are cleared by the national organic associations - so look for a label saying approved by such an organization.
Do you have to irrigate?

 

[Elizabeth C]

Thanks!
I’m not planning to irrigate, just water by hose when it doesn’t rain enough.