I have treated my strawberries really well, compost and weeded and watered a lot in the dry weather. They are netted and guess what. Everyone elses strawberries are ripe (they are not netted) and allotment next to mine picked a whole carrier bag full and offered me some. I only have three strawberries and they have been eaten by something and it wasn't me. The allotment next to me that has been given back to the Council also has better strawberries, growing amongst the weeds than me and they are the same strawberry plants that I have. It is just not fair. SOB, SOB.
The rule must be.. don't weed the strawberry bed, nature knows best ;D
Are they first year? Strawbs do better in years 2 and 3 before trailing off again... :-\
Quote from: Borlotti on June 06, 2009, 21:44:06The allotment next to me that has been given back to the Council also has better strawberries,
So pick the strawberries, dig the plants up and transplant them to your plot before the vacant plot is relet.
Did you leave the net off for the insects to pollinate?
I think I may have overwatered them. Also they are runners from the strawberries that were good last year. Yes I netted them but the net has quite big holes in for insects. I may pick the strawberries on the vacant plot, and dig up a few, did get permission from the old lady who gave it up, she said help yourself, but feel like a criminal when I go on the plot even though no-one has taken it on yet, checked that with the Council man on Friday. Had heavy rain today, but might walk up in a minute and take the netting off and perhaps scatter a few slug pelletts around and I can wear my new multi-coloured wellington boots.
my netting has half inch holes in it and have seen the bees busy going in and out. They land on the netting and then walk in to pollenate. Be patient strawbs can take up until the first week in august. Mine up here in bolton are still green, the sun will come back again to give them a nice sun tan.
My strawberries hardly produced anything in their first two years. Then the 3rd year we drowned in strawberries. This year i have a bed of new strawberries and didn't expect much from them but they're producing quite a lot, so i don't know! ???
Seems to be quite random. i have them netted with the black stuff for ponds from Wilkinson doesn't stop the bees.
I picked a little over 8lb today. I was walking with a stoop for hours. That's 16lb in total so far with 4 times that amount still to ripen.
You can have too much of a good thing... I suppose it'll be the bloody raspberries next :-\
What I save on soft fruit I spend on sugar and jars.
(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/6711_08_06_09_6_21_06.jpg)
;D/ shades x