Topic: STRAWBERRIES

[mellie]

I have just sown my first seeds ever!!! They are alpine strawberries. Does anyone have any idea if they need special soil or what sort of care I need to give them? I have just started at this even though I got my plot in August so I am very unsure of what to do. Any help would be apreciated.

Thanks
Mel
;D

[The gardener]

Have never grown them before, but I would guess there is a clue in the name  alpine

I would think they want well drained soil, and not too rich at that.

Perhaps some of the others know better.

[Ragged Robin]

I've got some self-seeded in the middle of the flower-bed, they receive no care or attention and crop really well throughout the summer, much longer season than cultivars.

[Piglet]

Hi Mel,

Congrats. for seed sowing, I dont think there that fussy.

I havent grown alpine strawberries from seed, but I had a plant in my garden.  I have VERY heavy clay soil - the really heavy soggy stuff in winter and earthquake affect in summer kind.  I dug the main plant up 2 yrs ago which cropped very well, and each year I have seedlings of it everywhere, i dont think they are that fussy (may have a preference for slightly acidic soil me being on clay - i dont know.  But mine keep coming!

My garden is south facing the alpine strawberries are on the left (east side) so shaded in the morning, sun as the day goes on and then sunset in the evening coming across from the west.  So not grown in the shade.

Hope this helps

Piglet.

[Mrs Ava]

Hiya Mellie, and congrats on your seed sowing.  I have grown alpine strawbs from seed and can't admit to doing anything special.  I am a bit of a sower and leaver to it.  Germinated very quickly and have them dotted all around my garden and in pots, fab little blighter, fruited the first year and in my opinion, taste like strawbs really truly taste!  ;D

[rdak]

Have just sown some alpine strawberry seeds (Minurette), hoping for some nice strawbs this year. Had some Cambridge Favourites last year in containers but found they needed more watering than I could provide- think I should have mulched. I imagine alpines are a bit less thirsty.
BTW, saw an interesting tip in Kitchen Garden mag- before your strawbs have ripened, paint some stones red and place among the plants- apparently any birds will get fed up pecking the stones and not bother when the fruit turns red! no idea if it works!

[mellie]

Thanks for the help folks, much apreciated.
I will let you know how I get on later, still waiting for them to appear in the pots yet.....not very patient it has been four whole days so far!!!!

;D

[ciaozzy]

Mellie

how many seeds to a pot did you sow?  me too have alpine strawbs
but havent sown yet... Yo EJ gonna put mine in pots too and scatter around the gardy..

Oz

xx

[tim]

We have a 25' 'hedge' of them - we fleece them for protection. They're in really poor soil near a 50' conifer!

We've just let them 'do their own thing' over the years, but now wonder if they should be cut down in the winter, to clear the way for the very dense new growth? - Tim

[mellie]

Oz
I have got some small paper cups that are supposed to be used for eating icecream from( it's handy working for a frozen food company). I have sown two seeds in each and will pot on when they get bigger.
Seed trays are no good as they wont fit on my windowsill, and if they did the cat would probably use them as a toilet anyway...

[Piglet]

Now you've got started....

Not sure if your doing them or not, but you need to get your garlic in asap if your doing any this year - really easy get a bulb from gardening catalogue or centre separate cloves and put them straight in the ground.  

Also you could plant out some broad beans (weather permitting wait for a nice sunny day) you can put them straight in the ground (with a few spares pushed in at the end of the row in case some dont come to fill any gaps later) I would recommend 'Sutton' as they are dwarf ones so you wont need to worry too much about wind etc..

Piglet.