Hi!
I am quite new at this growing your own veg and fruit - first time last year - there is so much to learn!
Anyway i planted one strawberry plant in quite a big bed - my husband couldn't stop laughing because it looked so silly - but i heard strawberries spread like mint - am i being really dippy (i don't want my laughing husband to be right!!!!!!) and if so do i need to get some other plants in d**n quick????
gill x
Awww beanie 3, bless your little cotton socks. You need a few more strawberry plants. Yes they do multiply by producing runners. When you see the runners appear peg them down preferably into a little pot of soil. After they are well establish you can severed it from the main plant, and hey presto you have a new strawberry plant.
But Beanie - If you are trying to get one over on hubby you will have to sneak out and buy some more plants - cos runners don't happen yet and will not flower and fruit this year - we cannot have him thinking he was right!!!!!
Old Bird
;)
old bird i planted new strawberies this year three different varities and two are allready in flower and are starting to have fruit ,
would this be concidered to be a little strange ?
im also new to them and would like to know the same
i planted mine in window baskets on a south facing wall
they dont have many fruit showing but are doing ok
Hi daileg
I am no expert on strawberries but yes sounds like you will be having a few to eat!
Most of the books recommend that you take the flowers off and allow the plant to build up strength for its proper first year - but Hey - life is too short not to let the plant fruit this year!
Sounds good - one thing to be wary of though is not to water over the plant when the flowers and fruit are setting as this can sometimes make the strawberries go a bit mouldy. Also they like a feed of tomorite or something just to give them a boost also. I think it is a good idea to have 3 varieties and next year with all your runners you should have oodles of strawbugs next year!
I also, and this is possibly old fashioned, put straw round the plants to stop the fruit sitting on the floor and getting splashed by rain and eaten by slugs!
Good luck with them!
Old Bird
i have them in plastic long flower boxes ther off the floor and scewed to the wall about four feet up facing on a south wall made from red face bricks i would like to see if the slugs can get up there as the bricks are rough .
thats why i put them on the wall lol
so you recomend i pull the flowers off then as for next years crop shall do
thanks for the tip
there wasnt that many to worry about eating ang this year
there for the lovely wife ,
ps cant stand them myself
Daileg, don't worry, it's not strange at all - you'd expect them to flower/ fruit.
Since you're growing in containers, I really wouldn't bother about removing flowers/fruit. Let the plants do their thing - just keep the soil moist and regularly add some feed while the fruit are developing.
Beanie, I'm with Arumlily and Old Bird: because they won't put out runners until later, I'd sneak in a few more plants - close enough to the original one to look as if they might have grown from it. :)
I didn't realise they were off the ground!! I wouldn't bother with taking the flowers off - let them do what they can and next year you will have loads more!
I wouldn't bother with the straw then! And yes I doubt that slugs would put themselves out that much, although I wouldn't completely trust the b****rs!
Have you ever tried a proper home grown, properly ripe and just picked and still warm from the sun strawberry? You may even change your mind as to whether you still don't like them!!
Worst thing for me is that I think I am developing an allergy to them! Quelle disaster!!!! This year I have - same as last year - had a mouthful of mouth ulcers - desperately painful mouth ulcers!! I am still managing to eat some but hope that this isn't going to stop me enjoying them! I developed the same last year as well! There is a new "cure" for mouth ulcers and that also seems to be doing the trick!
Old Bird
;D
im sorry to here you suffer so ,
i havent had a freshly picked one for years eversince i was a child memories of fields and strawberries from about the age of five
well i hope you get better soon and will try my own as soon as i can though
thanks again
For strawberries in pots, hanging baskets or containers you may need netting or the birds will have a feast. I have never done this myself but just from what others have said.
Also for advice on straw - it is a double edged thing. It is good for keeping strawberries off the ground so the they rot less. But it is also a haven for slugs to hide under to come out and feast. Personal preference here I guess.
This may be of interest:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,42090.0.html
Thanks - i do feel a little foolish - in my pink fluffy naive world. i will nip out at the weekend and sneak a few more in.
Oh well you live and learn the hardway i suppose!!!!!
thanks for all the advice.
Ha ha ha me and your husband ...............hi 5 (slap). nevermind, next time you try the slugs i'll prob av em ;D ;D ;D
wish someone had told my strawbs not to put out runners yet... flamin things!
Just another quick question to add onto this lot.... My strawberries (last year's) are all putting out loads of runners, they did last year too, and i don't really want any more plants, not til later in the season anyway. Can i break the runners off so the plants have more energy to produce yummy fruit? Will this make any difference to the fruit production?
Hi Jenfur
I would say a definite yes - although they may not fruit much this year! As you say the runners take up a lot of energy from the plant and so the less it has going on the more it should fruit! You will get more runners from the plants in late summer/autumn time in which case then is the time to propagate them!
Old Bird