Ground cover plants are a key aspect of an edible forest garden.
We have a fantastic species of wild strawberries which is loving Guernsey weather and the conditions in our backyard veggie patch.
The wild strawberries have been so happy that they have continued flowering and fruiting throughout winter and are currently going mental with the amount of berries reddening daily on its nimble branches.
Hopefully it will not just give-up exhausted after a season!
We also have an abundance of “normal” strawberries growing in the kitchen garden ready for the Wimbledon season.
Geoff uses wood chip as cover for raised beds and it is something the strawberries seem delighted about. The wood chip recreates the conditions of the forest where wild strawberries proliferate naturally. The twigs and fallen trees create a natural wood chip conditions for the ground cover plants to grow.
By recreating the forest ground cover conditions, we are building a healthy soil that’s keeping in the moisture and nutrients and decomposing over time into “yummy” material for plants.
Interestingly, the wood chip cover has been a complete failure for carrot growing. Second year in a row, we’ve got ZERO carrots but that’s a matter for a separate blog post entirely.
#Strawberries #Wood #Chip #Ground #Cover #Experimenting #TrialandError