Ideas for How to Build a Square Pyramid Strawberry Planting Bed

Preparing Soil

• Use a soil mix comprised of 16 cubic feet of garden soil, 6 cubic feet of peat moss, 3 cubic feet of agricultural sand and 1 pound of fertilizer with 5 units nitrogen, 10 units phosphorus and 10 units of potassium, or 5-10-10 fertilizer. This gives the mixture the ability to drain well and have enough nutrients to feed the berries. Mix well with a shovel on a flat surface in layers until all materials are combined.

Building the Pyramid

• Make the base of the pyramid by nailing four 6-foot-long by 6-inch-wide redwood boards together in a square. Place it in the garden and secure it by nailing four 12-inch-long wooden stakes in the inside corners. Drive the stakes into the ground so the tops are even with the boards. Nail the stakes to the boards and fill the square with soil mix so that there is a 2-inch headspace at the top to ensure soil will not wash out when wet. The middle level is made by nailing four 4-foot-long by 6-inch-wide boards together. Place this structure on top and in the center of the 6-foot square, insert stakes and fill with soil mix. The top level is made with four 2-foot-long by 6-inch-wide boards nailed in a square, positioned on top, staked and filled with soil.

Planting Strawberries

• Plant nine plants spaced 8 inches apart in the top level, 16 plants 9 inches apart in the middle level and 28 plants 9 inches apart in the base level. Strawberry plants consist of leaves, roots and a crown where the leaves come together. The crown should never be covered with soil nor be out of the soil several inches. It should be just at soil level.

Potential Problems

• Strawberries need at least 8 hours of sun per day, so place the pyramid in a sunny area. Pyramids need extra protection in cold regions because they sit above ground. Mulch the pyramid with 8 inches of straw after the soil freezes. Provide extra protection by wrapping burlap around the pyramid. Avoid planting strawberries where peppers, potatoes, eggplant, okra, tomatoes or sod were planted in a four-year period. Diseases left in the soil can affect the strawberry plants.