Temperatures due to drop a bit this week. So will have my fleece, net curtains and old sheets etc at the ready. Strawbs covered in flowers, so when I get the urge to rush out in the evening and cover things up, do I need to add the strawbs to the list.
In a word yes!.....they will suffer if the temps go really downhill.Any frost forecast here and I throw some fleece over mine.
Frost is not good for the strawbs. They have the effect of turning my fruit black when they start to ripen. Had this happen to me last year and forgot to cover to protect them.
Go with Fork's suggestion and cover up to be safe.
Glad I saw this thread - I wasn't aware strawbs would be affected by frost
Debs
And make sure you uncover them when the bees are flying so they get pollinated. Bad pollination leads to those hard green undeveloped bits.
Many thanks for the info. I think I would have thought strawb were ok and forgot about damage to flowers. I shall be keeping a good eye on the temperatures on Tuesday night forecast for 4C but we have in the past had it 5 degrees below forecast.
Though I have also run round covering things only to find it was a really warm night.
Raspberry flowers also opening, so presume those will be the same.
So glad I saw this topic. I have a dozen or so strawberry plants in pots growing in my garden. They have loads of flowers on them and I am very proud of them. I have even been hand pollinating them as earlier flowers didn't come to anything. I will keep a close eye on the weather forecast & protect them if there's any chance of a frost. Does anyone know though, if I was to put them in my plastic greenhouse, would this protect them from any frosts?
Strawberries are as near to weeds as you can get.
They survive most things and will even 'flower again' .
I know in the past I have been told that commercial strawberry growers do all sorts to preserve their crop but lottie holders and home growers are not reliant on them for an income.
Just take off runners until after you have had your crop then let them grow runners for more plants.
On the allotments we give away scores of new plants every year and throw away loads more.