Strawberries

[Moggle]

I would like to try growing strawberries on my balcony this year - soon it will be all plants and no balcony left :)
When should I plant them? I saw some plants for sale on saturday for £1.30 each, is this a good price. Are they likely to go up in price as the season progresses? Should I buy some now and keep them inside for a bit till it's ok to plant them out?
Also, what to grow them in? I was thinking growbags, as they are nice and cheap, but I was wondering if those strawberry planters are any good, although they aren't cheap. I've also heard hanging baskets suggested, although I'm not sure I would be able to put any up in my rented flat.
Any thoughts, suggestions or advice greatly appreciated. I guess I should think about what variety too.

[Moggle]

[aquilegia]

I have mine in pots (three to a 12inch pot or singly in 6inch pots). I also have two strawberry planters which are great when space is limited (although, yes, expensive - mine were a present!) Haven't actually used the planters yet as I only got them in the winter.

I bought eight bare-rooted plants last year from woolies for about £3. I now (after pegging down runners) have about 30.

[Debs]

Moggle,

I have two of those strawberry planters ( bought in summer sale)
but was not impressed with them - compost fell out of planting holes and water escaped likewise...

I must have been doing something wrong- perhaps I let the plants get too dry and the water would not absorb easily into the compost
(thinking out loud here!) ...  advice anyone...   ???  ???

I also have halved drainpipes fixed along wall in greenhouse and will be trying this as one method this year...here's hoping  ;)

[Mrs Ava]

I have a strawb planter, inherited, but find you need to really keep it well watered, which isn't actually terribly easy to do.  As for the compost falling out, I wonder if it is the type of compost you are using....I am useless about compost, but I wonder if something a bit heavier like a John Innes would hold in better...?  I have seen them grown in grow bags and I can't see why you can't do it that way, and I was talking to a mum at school today, and she grows her strawbs in a hanging basket, but again, problems with  keeping them watered.  What about window boxes?  :)

[Moggle]

Thank you all for your advice.
I've also done what I should have done in the first place, and searched on the net. I found the Ken Muir site, which sells soft fruit plants and has LOADS of advice in the 'ask ken' section. 6 odd pages of PDF on growing strawbs in a variety of ways.  ;D ;D
http://www.kenmuir.co.uk
There's a good suggestion of 'table top' growing with grow bags, which I might give a go if I can get my husband to make me a couple of shelves.  :)

[Doris_Pinks]

When I was living in tropical climes (sigh............) I used to drill holes in a piece of plastic pipe, and put that down the middle of my Strawberry planter, then water into it! Worked for me ;D

[allotment_chick]

...was just going to suggest to same Dottie!  Or, if you haven't got any plastic pipe use a 1.5 litre plastic bottle, make the holes (with a drill or hot skewer - ask an adult to help  ;)) and fill the bottle with large stones or cobbles before you put it in the middle of the planter - otherwise the compost will collapse the bottle inwards!
AC x

[aquilegia]

Cool - thanks AC.

Would say thanks DP - but I don't have plastic pipe, only hundreds of plastic bottles.  :D

[Doris_Pinks]

You could stack them inside each other cutting the base off and leaving the tops on, to make a tube!!  :)DP

[allotment_chick]

..you could!  Lateral thinking DP!

[Doris_Pinks]

I'm good at that AC!! ;D

[gwencross]

Anyone know a cheap handy source of straw for my outdoor strawbs in an urban area?  Cant say I've seen any at the
garden centre and dont fancy paying pet shop prices.
Thanks Gwen

[rdak]

how about getting some old straw from a riding stables? It will have some manure mixed in, but the strawberries should benefit from that.

I sowed some alpine strawberries and they are now about half and inch high and have about 3-5 leaves. Would these be OK to go outside or would a frost damage them?

[kenkew]

Straw has been used for keeping s'berries off the ground since we first grew them, but straw also gives the slugs protection. This year I'm going to have a think about something else. Possibly left over kitchen tiles? Underfelt cut into a circle with a hole for the plant? Dunno yet. Still thinking.

[Mrs Ava]

I would guess they are okay Ross, harden them off properly first, but mine are out year round and have sprung into growth - roll on strawbs and cream!

[rdak]

thanks EJ. I know they're perennials but thought young seedlings may be frost sensitive..?

[Mrs Ava]

hmmmm..... okay, well if they all die, it's not my fault  ;D but I'm sure they would be okay, so long as you harden them up first.

[rdak]

well, you'll legally responsible for their fate now  ;D

thanks

[Mrs Ava]

B*gger!