Strawberries.

Making room for my asparagus neccesitated transplanting some new strawberry plants that took it apon themselves to spread over into another bed. I dug out this whole pile of new plants and transplanted them to a better home. Yehaw. This means even more delicous and juicy berries this summer. And of course some delicious strawberry jam.

I started this strawberry bed several years ago. Taking a few stragglers from the Hay House Farm, I basically just threw them in the ground let them do their thang. Year after year, the plants have thrived and multiplied.

Strawberries spread by runners; they have a very horizontal orientation, sending shoots, or runners, out in all directions. The runners then root into the ground and a new little plant pops up. Pretty fantastic. This original strawberry bed of mine is getting pretty crowded, and if I were a better gardener, I would already have a few different beds established, trimming the runner's off the plants each season and spreading them into different beds. But, I'm not a better gardener, and at this point in my life i don't have the acres of land that I am determined to get my mitts on eventually.

Strawberries are easy to transplant. Just cut the runner and move the new plant wherever it needs to go. However (this is important), when planting strawberries, you have to make sure the crown of the plant is above the soil level or the plant will rot. Not good. The crown is just the top of the root system, pretty easy to discern. It's a big bump at the top of the roots and at the bottom of the leaves. Oh, and you'll most likely have to cover your strawberries with some type of netting. Birds and beasts alike will try to beat you to your berries if you give them a chance.