Topic: Strawberry question

[caroline7758]

My (non-gardening) husband came back from Morrisons with 3 "Strawberry Beltane" plants. The label says harvest June-Oct, they have no sign of any flowers yet but have got runners. They will have to go in a pot, so shall I just stick them in or should I remove the runners?

[Tee Gee]

Firstly I have never heard of the variety, did a Google and they don't know either!

I think it might be a sale pitch by Morrisons based on the following;

Beltane is a summer festival celebrated around the world. May 1 marks the Celtic festival of Beltane, also referred to as May Day, which many neopagans and Wiccans around the world observe to celebrate the onset of summer.

Personally,and because you mention growing in pots I would pot them up one per 5"/6" pot and grow them on! You never know if they are going to fruit, who knows they might be a late variety and have yet to set flowers.

Regarding the runners you could direct the runners into 3" pots and root new stock for next year.

Who knows your with your 3 plants you might end up with a dozen more for next year and onwards.

Basically I see it as" nothing ventured- nothing gained.

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/S/Strawberry/Strawberry.htm

[caroline7758]

Don't the runners take energy away from the plant that could be used for producing more fruit?

[Tee Gee]

Don't the runners take energy away from the plant that could be used for producing more fruit?

Yes!

But look at it this way the runners are in place now suggesting that fruiting has probably already taken place. As I hinted they might be a variety that fruits twice in a season so if you give the plants the right conditions this would give them a better chance to do so hence my reason for potting them up!....only time will tell...but what is certain you can at least increase your stock as things stand.

So. I say again......" nothing ventured nothing gained"

[Beersmith]

Late May is a very unusual time to plant strawberries.

You would normally start summer fruiting types in late summer so they are well established for the following season, or even March to fruit that summer although you would not expect the plants to be quite as big and productive. These produce fruit as a single flush. Mine are currently laden with flowers and quite a lot of rapidly swelling green fruits.

So perhaps the variety is among the less usual "everbearing" or day neutral types. The latter can give an autumn crop twelve weeks after planting but would benefit from being under cloches. Sadly they have a reputation for being poor in flavour.

Have a really close look at the label. There may be some extra information

[galina]

If Morrisons are selling them off, presumable more cheaply than a fruit specialist would, I would not worry about it being a bit late to buy the plants.  They would have been kept in cold storage and may not have sold, then were offloaded as a job lot to a major retailer.

Beltane is the fire festival.  I wonder whether (purely based on the name) these are the red flowering type.  I have red flowering ones in the garden, which also make a lot of runners but are somewhat shy to fruit.  They are indeed best in autumn, which (apart from looking pretty) is their redeeming feature because no other strawberry fruits them. 

For what it is worth our red flowering strawberries are delicious.