Protecting strawberries from birds (Keep crows away from strawberries) – Growing strawberry plants

How to grow strawberries in mulch cultivation. Let’s engage in the cultivation management of strawberries during this session. (Strawberry plant care.)

The strawberries grown in the field are almost at the end of their growing season. As the berries start to grow and harvest time comes near, we need to worry about crows. If we don’t take precautions, the strawberries we carefully grew from seedlings will be eaten. So, let’s protect the strawberries from crows now.

Protecting strawberries from birds (Keep crows away from strawberries)

Most of our strawberries are still green, so they are safe, but some beds have already been damaged by crows. We don’t want the strawberries we worked hard to grow to be eaten, so we will take action right away.

Strawberries are getting close to harvest time
Houkou-wase strawberries (Japanese june bearing strawberry plants)

For crow prevention, we will use four 90cm (3 feet) stakes and non-woven fabric. This will surround the strawberry bed and keep crows away. (If you don’t have non-woven fabric, you can also use insect netting.)

90cm (3 feet) long stakes
Non-woven fabric used for crow prevention

Place the stakes at the four corners of the bed, and then wrap non-woven fabric around the outside. (If the soil is hard and it’s difficult to place the stakes, use a hammer to drive them in.)

The position to place the stakes
The stakes are in place in the strawberry bed
Secure the non-woven fabric with clothespins

We were able to cover the strawberries with non-woven fabric so the berries are not visible. I think this should be fine as a crow prevention method. If it doesn’t work, we will come up with a different plan.

Crow prevention for the strawberries is complete

Related information on strawberry cultivation(Frequently Asked Questions for growing strawberries)

Winter care for outdoor-grown strawberries (Strawberry wintering work)

Strawberries grown outdoors do not need much care after planting. The main winter work is removing the mulch in mid-November. (This lets the strawberries feel the cold and encourages them to go into a resting state.)

Strawberries in winter don’t need frequent care, but you should remove dead leaves and pull any weeds that start to grow as part of maintenance.

For strong-growing strawberries, flowers may bloom even in winter. But buds and flowers that form during winter should be picked off. Flowers blooming in winter rarely turn into fruit and use up extra energy, so remove them as soon as you see them. (Strawberries should start blooming from March.)

Do strawberries ever wither during winter?

Strawberries are strong against the cold, so they won’t wither even with a bit of frost. They’re okay down to about -5°C (23℉). During winter, some leaves might wither, but the strawberry plant itself will not die.

In areas with heavy snowfall or very cold mountain areas, protection from the cold is needed, but in mild, flat areas, there is no worry about the plants withering.

Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.

Protecting strawberries from birds (Keep crows away from strawberries) – Growing strawberry plants – YouTube