Joy of Summer

[Grant]

The taste of Summer.  Picked 7.5lbs of Strawberries yesterday and preceded to make jam.  Spooning it on crackers today at work teabreak, mmmm' beautiful.

[Grant]

[Curryandchips]

There is something really sumptuous about fresh home made strawberry jam ...

[Roy Bham UK]

>:( I'm so jealous :( this is my second year of trying to grow strawbs and they are as dead as dodo's what am I doing wrong? ??? ::)

[teresa]

Roy how are you trying to grow them ?
On my lottie a couple of years back had a load of manure dumped.
some got dug in where it was left on that I planted strawberries and there beautiful this year as well as last. Must admit have been watering them when fruit is setting.

[Roy Bham UK]

I have been planting Wilko strawbs for the past two years in ground that had  no manure first year and manured ground this year, I must admit I had better luck 3 years ago when I planted Strawbs in a pot in the back garden but they weren't good enough to eat even then. ::) >:(

[teresa]

Do you put straw underneath them to lift the fruit and keep moisture in?
They do need full sun no shade, when fruiting a little feed in the watering can will help them as well.
I know some grow them on mounds or ridges this may help with the picking of them and easier to put straw around.

[Roy Bham UK]

teresa, I have tried to reply to your PM but your inbox is full, will try tomorrow. ;)

I have had no fruit to put straw under :( my plants appear to just cark it when I put them in the ground :(

[teresa]

Oh do they shrivel up or rot off? sorted my pm box out sorry.

[Roy Bham UK]

Last years plants shriveled up to a tiny ball of roots, this years I haven't touched yet, I just talk calmly to them to encourage them to move their butts. ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Maybe it is just dodgy stock from Wilkinsons Roy.  I bet if everyone who grows strawbs saved you a couple of runners and you planted them out in the Autumn you would have more strawbs that you could shake a jam covered stick at!  Mine are running now - want me to pot you some?

[teresa]

I am with EJ, thinking of shriviling up vine weevil if plants in compost the VW would find them and cause this. So plant straight in the ground no compost bare rooted runners. Water them in after planting and off they are.

[Roy Bham UK]

Mine are running now - want me to pot you some?

Teresa has kindly promised me some for the Autumn, so as I appear to be a strawberry killer, I would like to accept your kind offer too Emma ;) I surely can't murder them all ::) can I ??? ;D

[Mrs Ava]

Okay Roy, PM me your addy and then I will see a message in my mail box and remember!  ;D  I shall take some pots to the plot with me on Friday and start pegging out runners!

(Just to make you feel even worse, picked a pound from our garden strawberry patch tonite!  :P)

[saddad]

Don't weigh mine, but on third ice cream carton so far. We lost a lot of last years runners, the poor little mites just didn't root out from the compost as the weather was so dry... then when summer came the compost dried out and they died!
:o

[SMP1704]

Roy, I think it is the stock from Wilko's.  I bought six plants from there, planted out in pots to start them off and nothing, zilch, zip.  On the other hand, the rescue strawbs have done brilliantly.  I think runners is the way to go or buy some fresh plants at the GC