Topic: Another problem....this time strawberries

[Chris Graham]

My strawberries seem to be falling off their stalks before becoming ripe.

I took a look under all the foliage and there are hundreds of good sized fruit just lying on the ground.

What could cause this?

 ???

[jordsbabe]

wish i knew this answer too!

[jordsbabe]

I read somewhere on Google, that with the heavy rain would force the fruit down on to the soil and break the stem ?????? I'm a newbie what do i know lol!!

[Chris Graham]

You could be right there, we have had a lot of rain lately along with a very very strong thunderstorm.  Lightning was right above our house!!!

Its a shame as I would have had a bumper crop.

[manicscousers]

I noticed the stems on ours were very brittle, only had to touch them, they broke, even if the fruit wasn't ripe  :-\

[Chris Graham]

I noticed the stems on ours were very brittle, only had to touch them, they broke, even if the fruit wasn't ripe  :-\

Any idea the cause of that?

[manicscousers]

no idea, they were second year  and last year were fine  ???

[calendula]

they are not called strawberries for nothing  ;D

because the rain can do this it is good to place a generous amount of straw around the plants to soften the blow so to speak, so as they fall or break off they have a soft landing and they will still ripen in situ

[jordsbabe]

they are not called strawberries for nothing  ;D

because the rain can do this it is good to place a generous amount of straw around the plants to soften the blow so to speak, so as they fall or break off they have a soft landing and they will still ripen in situ

What a brilliant idea!

[loopyloulou]

hey at least you got some!!! mine have flowered but are showing no signs of fattening up, theyre happily throwing out runners tho so when theyre rooted i may just bin the old plants, they were given to us so they may well be oldies, siigh, i reeeeeeally wanted home grown strawberries too!

[Chris Graham]

It seems I have strawberry mildew, probably;y due to the damp weather and close spacing of plants.

In Autumn i will clear the beds and remove old straw.

[cacran]

Well, could I hijack this forum to ask a strawberry question, please??
I have 2 strawberry beds. One was well established when I got my allotment two years ago. The plants there give off huge strawberries in abundance. The other bed I took from runners as I was under the impression from what I have read, that strawberry beds should be renewed every 3 years. These have hardly anything on them and are in their second year, now. Should I give up on them. I knew that the original bed would now be over three years, at least as the people in neighbouring plots have told me so. I know it should be time for me to move the bed and renew them but should I really disturb what seem to successfully fruit, time and again? I am confused.
Oh about the straw thing. I asked a question on here about using straw to keep the strawberries off the ground and felt I was talked out of it as it  encourages slugs. Last year I made cages and put netting over them to sut down on losses, which I thought were due to birds. The losses are the same so must be slugs or mayb mice. Help me to decide what to do, please?

[calendula]

it really depends on your location - last year was so bad for many and this year seems to be turning out to be cool and wet, bad for a lot of fruit so the runners may need a better year and more time - strawberries last more than 3 years though and I think that is just commercial talk to make you spend money, many of mine are now 8 years old and only now am I thinking of replacing a whole bed with new ones

Personally I don't use straw, just suggested it as a solution to prematurely dropping fruit but i do tend to cram my plants together and so the fruit is hidden by foliage and so the birds don't get them and otherwise seem to be free from other predators but again every location is different and you have to arm yourself against what problems you have - i do a deal with the wild life, they get 5%, I get the rest, everything is negotiable  ;D

[cacran]

Thank Calendula, I am going to leave them all in then. I will just continue to net them and let the 5% go to the slugs or mice.....!!!! :)

[jordsbabe]

My problem with Strawberries is that they are growing and fattening up but they are the most perculia shape they are really really nobbly.  ??? Not looking appertizing at all!

[manicscousers]

wait 'til you taste them, jordsbabe, it won't matter if they're square  ;D