Sorry if I was a bit unclear in my first post but I was in a bit of rush when writing it.
I am mainly using the matting now to form the paths with woodchip ontop for in between my veggie beds and suppressing the weeds in the back corner area until I decide what to do with it. Still no ideas what to do there. (Thats the weedy bit at the back right of the photo in front of the hedge. I am open to ideas to that as well (plot is about 3m by 3m)
I do have 4 main veg beds, 2 of which you can see in the photo and 4 smaller sections on the end of each for herbs etc.
So you would recommend ripping all of that up but then what could I put in it's place? As you say I too imagine the soil underneath is pretty sterile underneath there. I have no idea how long that cage has been there before I moved in 5 years ago. Would it be best to plant them in edged off beds like the rest of my plot?
My only concern is weeds. It has taken me a couple of years to try and get things under control and I don't want to lose that control when I redesign this area.
I have been thinking of planting raspberries (Autumn fruiting) and gooseberry bushes alongside the path at the back of the photo. Possibly even blackberry but worried about the spread of it.
With regards to straw, that isn't something I could ask the nearby farmer for.......long story. How much is generally needed and why is it needed for strawberries? Is it basically a mulch?
I don't actually have a lot of compost, just two 1m x 1m and even then it never gets hot despite adding the right materials.
I have loads of worms in my living soil under my permeable fabric. Tomatoes and peppers, even runner beans do well surrounded by it. But then I live in SW France and it can get very hot here and dries the surface to a hard crust. The fabric helps to keep the moisture in.
I had mice eating strawberries when I used straw.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I take it all off in the spring to add manure and dig or rotovate. You have to put goodness back into the soil after growing crops. Also need to rotate the fabric for the sort of crops the holes were cut in it for.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I see what you are saying Verdun, that sheeting hasn't been moved at all. I have no idea how the previous owners did it as it seems quite a stable structure, you would think if they moved it every couple of years they would have made it more movable.
Now I am at a loss as to where to plant the strawberries so that they can be rotated every 3 years.
How many fruit plants could I fit in that cage area (about 3m x 3m)?
I did think about cordons for gooseberries but not too keen on that idea at the moment. I have had a think about what to do with the back corner in the photo and where to move the strawberries.
So I have 2 plans, just with different amounts of autumn raspberry plants and different orientation.The plants would be sheltered by the hedge on the North and East side. Any comments would be appreciated?
I have assumed about 1 - 2m spacing between the gooseberry and black currant bushes.
With this plan what would be the best way to protect the fruit? Small cages per bed or a a big cage? The latter would likely cost from what I have read.
Also on a side note, when preparing these beds I do not have enough of my own compost to fill them, is there any alternatives or could I get away with shop bought bags?
Now the question is what to consider doing for the area where the current strawberries are. Hmmmm.
Posts
Sorry if I was a bit unclear in my first post but I was in a bit of rush when writing it.
I am mainly using the matting now to form the paths with woodchip ontop for in between my veggie beds and suppressing the weeds in the back corner area until I decide what to do with it. Still no ideas what to do there.
(Thats the weedy bit at the back right of the photo in front of the hedge. I am open to ideas to that as well (plot is about 3m by 3m) 
I do have 4 main veg beds, 2 of which you can see in the photo and 4 smaller sections on the end of each for herbs etc.
So you would recommend ripping all of that up but then what could I put in it's place? As you say I too imagine the soil underneath is pretty sterile underneath there. I have no idea how long that cage has been there before I moved in 5 years ago. Would it be best to plant them in edged off beds like the rest of my plot?
My only concern is weeds. It has taken me a couple of years to try and get things under control and I don't want to lose that control when I redesign this area.
I have been thinking of planting raspberries (Autumn fruiting) and gooseberry bushes alongside the path at the back of the photo. Possibly even blackberry but worried about the spread of it.
With regards to straw, that isn't something I could ask the nearby farmer for.......long story. How much is generally needed and why is it needed for strawberries? Is it basically a mulch?
I don't actually have a lot of compost, just two 1m x 1m and even then it never gets hot despite adding the right materials.
I have loads of worms in my living soil under my permeable fabric. Tomatoes and peppers, even runner beans do well surrounded by it. But then I live in SW France and it can get very hot here and dries the surface to a hard crust. The fabric helps to keep the moisture in.
I had mice eating strawberries when I used straw.
When I remove it to dig over there are worms.
I take it all off in the spring to add manure and dig or rotovate. You have to put goodness back into the soil after growing crops. Also need to rotate the fabric for the sort of crops the holes were cut in it for.
Ooops didn't mean to start an argument.
I see what you are saying Verdun, that sheeting hasn't been moved at all. I have no idea how the previous owners did it as it seems quite a stable structure, you would think if they moved it every couple of years they would have made it more movable.
Now I am at a loss as to where to plant the strawberries so that they can be rotated every 3 years.
How many fruit plants could I fit in that cage area (about 3m x 3m)?
I did think about cordons for gooseberries but not too keen on that idea at the moment. I have had a think about what to do with the back corner in the photo and where to move the strawberries.
So I have 2 plans, just with different amounts of autumn raspberry plants and different orientation.The plants would be sheltered by the hedge on the North and East side. Any comments would be appreciated?
I have assumed about 1 - 2m spacing between the gooseberry and black currant bushes.
With this plan what would be the best way to protect the fruit? Small cages per bed or a a big cage? The latter would likely cost from what I have read.
Also on a side note, when preparing these beds I do not have enough of my own compost to fill them, is there any alternatives or could I get away with shop bought bags?
Now the question is what to consider doing for the area where the current strawberries are. Hmmmm.