Tried something new with strawberries this year - couple of lengths of square section guttering fixed to a batten on the wall, fed one half with Miracle Gro and not the other just to see what would happen - amazing how much greener and healthier the fed ones are!! (though probably both lots have about the same amount and size of fruit.) I've rigged up a frame and netting to keep the blackbirds off and yesterday we tasted the goods - superb. However today I found on several of the fruits, both those partially ripe and those still white (ish), several brown coloured spots that look as if it might be some form of rot. They were severely battered over the weekend with monsoon rains for several hours.
Anybody got any thoughts on the cause/cure please? ???
Do you mean the guttering is raised, is there enough volume for the roots ?
Visions of a long straight hanging basket spring to mind - could be a very useful space saving technique, I will have to be more creative and experimental with planting next year.
I think brown spots can be a symptom of botrytis. See this link below
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/mildew_botryitis.htm (http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/mildew_botryitis.htm)
Barrowbob, please post a pic so we can see, I've only had one Strawb this year - so looking for ideas to keep them from being eaten - before I get a chance to! 8)
Taken pictures of the brown spots but how do I post them in the message please?? :-\
(http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/2859/gardenstuff20062053et.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Brackets courtesy of Screwfix (cheapest I could find!)
(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9344/gardenstuff20062074xd.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
screwed up through onto a length of wood I had at back of shed, fixed the back of the net through the bracket holes with cable ties
(http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6658/gardenstuff20062109ca.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
draped the net - haven't yet sorted out how best to keep the bottom of the net down - thinking about putting a sort of hem on the bottom of the net and maybe using brush shafts to sit along the bottom brackets
Looks good barrowbob. I used poles through hem to weight stuff down, works but had problems lifting it up on mine. Can also attach string to net, and tie to a weighty object on floor, plastic large milk container filled with water worked, as the handle supplied a place to tie the string. Mind you, yours looks a bit posh for that! :)
I've got my onion and shallot beds under it this year so its not really easy to suspend anything directly. I'm not bothered about posh - anything, so long as it works.
Going back to the original post - the brown spots developed, as some of you predicted, into grey mould - had to dump about 15 strawberries of various sizes and stages of ripeness this morning :-[.
(http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7061/gardenstuff20062299jo.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
But on the upside cut the first cucumber - about a pound and a quarter and just over 12" long - no idea of the variety - it was in the discounted, not very well, corner at the garden centre a while back and just thought at 25p was worth a try - very jaggy skin.
(http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3996/gardenstuff20062327lz.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
thanks for the pics barrowbob, look great,may have to steal that idea, as haven't had a single strawb this year!
An ingenious system Bob but my first impressions (having seen the pictures) was it might be your system that is not working.
I took this extract from the link jellywelly submitted and I think the clues are here;
Remove the conditions which caused the disease in the first place. Avoid over-watering and ensure that the plant or seedling has plenty of air circulating - if the plant is congested with leafy growth, prune away some of the growth (especially in the centre of the plant) to permit air to circulate. Reduce the amount of fertiliser being applied.
Taking the overwatering part and air circualation part first;
As I see it; the wall may be preventing good air circulation, at least on the wallside of the plants. Plus when the wall gets warm and the water on it condenses you are quite possibly creating areas of high humidity, which doesn't help!
Can you recall if this was the side you picked the berries from?
Your plants are also quite close together meaning there is very little ventilation between the plants.
Regarding the fertiliser did you feed them at all?
I hope you don't mind my comments after all it is only an opinion based on what I can see from the details suppled.
Don't mind at all Tee Gee, all suggestions are welcome. Its been a bit of an experiment this year and I know there's not a lot of space for them to spread roots through the compost. Think the 15 plants only cost a fiver but there is a bit of space between them.(I'll look for another straight on picture) Initially only one side was being fed just to see what difference it made but both sides are now given Miracle Gro every 2-3 weeks. Its difficult to regulate the amount of water they get - I drilled holes along the guttering about 1/2" from the base to allow some drainage but we've had torrential downpours and the compost was very wet, similarly it does dry out quickly when its sunny - bit of a balancing act. Next year might need to put some pea gravel in the bottom though that will reduce depth of growing medium - build up the sides a couple of inches??. Most of the fruits came from the open side although a couple were adjacent the wall and the net has a reasonably wide weave for ventilation though might need to get something more open. Was just frustrating to watch them ripen in expectation then lose them. :(
I like it barrowbob. Looks like you might be getting your idea nicked. :o Regarding the engineering, I use something like the setup below. It's free and it's made from things you're likely to have to hand. You could hang the hooks direct from the net, but the cane threaded through makes it a lot easier for maintenance or picking.
(http://static.flickr.com/75/186697116_47a209e70a_o.jpg)
Geoff.
The chap at the PYO down the road uses polystrene troughs, which look remarkably similar to those sold to use for ready pasted wallpaper. They are supported by a framework made from old glasshouse frames, and have drip fertigation.
Hi Barrowbob,
Just read your post and had a thought although I will point out, I am no expert! :D
I have one of those Frame swimming pools for the kids and after all the thunderstorms and torrential downpours last week, the water tested very acidic :-\.
Could the rain have been acidy? I have heard of 'acid rain' but not sure if it causes problems ???
As I said, just a thought ;D although probably not much help!!
Donna.