Topic: Should I water my Strawberries?

[RichardS]

Really don't know whether they should be watered in this dry spell or not.

Theyr'e currently cropping _really_ heavily, but the remaining green strawbs on the plants are pretty small and I'm worried that the plants need water to swell these.

The plants are all pushed through a black fibrous membrane mat, "mulched" with bark chippings.

My concern is that if I water them it might just encourage rot (is it the same mould that afflicts tomatos - ie botritis?)

[john_miller]

Botrytis cinerea- it is a weak pathogen that can only infect tissue that is already damaged, for whatever reason. If you do decide to water (and water is neccessary even if the risks of infection do increase) then try to water in the morning so that sun and wind can dry the foliage before infection has a chance to occur. Try to keep the water away from the foliage as much as possible.

[rdak]

I've seen quite a few posts recently about the dangers of watering plant foliage (e.g. fungus, blight, scorched leaves from sunlight etc.)

Two questions then
1) Any handy hints on how to direct water at the ground (e.g. anyone tried laying something like guttering with holes in and watering into that)
2) Do any plants like having foliage wet?

[derbex]

When you plant you can embed bottomless plastic bottles -or plantpots by the plant. I have done this with my strawbs and courgettes, which are also in a well that the water can run into. You could also drape soaker hose around (or a pierced pipe) which I do in my greenhouse -only there's been no rain, so the waterbutt's empty, so the soaker hose won't soak :(

When watering you can direct the water at the base of the plant and not onto the foliage -probably easier if you take the rose off (or use a jet nozzle), but you risk washing the soil away from the base of the plant.

The guttering idea sounds plausible, for things in rows, it wouldn't matter if it slopped over the sides either.

Jeremy

[rdak]

I've seen the sunken plastic bottle idea before, but that means individually watering into each bottle, and I'm far too lazy to do that!

How does a soaker hose work? Does it run along the bed and drape into a waterbutt?

[RichardS]

Thanks, John, it seems that I should be watering them....

Of course what now strikes me is the obvious answer that I should stick the hose underneath the membrane and avoid any foliar contact that way!  Can't believe I didn't think of this before!!!

[derbex]

Ross,

when mine's working I connect it up to the tap of the butt (the modern plastic taps seem to have the right end for hozelock fittings -can be bought generically in Homebase &c.) via a timer. It was mainly done for when I'm on holiday, but it's good for when I'm at work as well.

I loop the hose along and around the various plants in the greenhouse -but you could just as easily run it along rows. It will work, probably better, off mains water.


Jeremy