Higgs Boson wrote:
songbird wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:
songbird wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

But I planted the damn things to get fruit NOW!

what variety(ies) did you plant?

Can't remember exact. June-bearing. Chandler, a local standard.



did they have flowers/fruit on them when

you planted them?

No fruit. Flowers either when planted or VERY SOON afterwards.

your plants had flowers but never got fruit?


anyways, likely they are past the time for flowering/fruiting and that's it until next season.


Grrrr! It's partly my fault for buying into the inaccurate runner philosophy. Wasted at least 3 weeks. Have just cut off all, will replant the babies just for the helluvit.

if you wanted babies leave the runners on
until the babies rooted. but anyways, with
the empty spaces there's a better use for
them until next year anyways.


have they been getting enough water?

Yes

how hot has it been?

Varies between 70-75 F to days of 80+

how much light do they get?

a lot

that helps.

are they near a wall or rocks that may be reflecting or storing heat?

Yes. Against a pink block wall, nearest plant about 1-1/2' away; others 3-4'

IS THAT BAD????

only if it gets too hot. in cooler climates it is a way of extending the season.

So doesn't sound like it would be a factor here.

depends, if a hot reflection discourages
insects then you may not get much pollination
going on, if it blocks the wind or rain, that
cuts down on pollination too. so there's
always effects perhaps unintended, but to sort
them out may take some observation.

when i saw the lack of bees this strawberry
flowering bout i made a point of watering them
with the hose to encourage pollination even if
it was only the self-pollinating going on.
there were other bees that came along eventually
and other insects too besides bees which did
some of the pollinating, but all told, i liked
to be sure.


Any comment on runners vs. fruit?

if you don't need the extra plants to

fill a space then it is better to not have

the plants putting energy into runners.



Aha! That's what I thought but was misled by contrary info. As I noted earlier, since we're told that strawberries should be pulled after 3+ years, need action now!

ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW LONG KEEP PLANTS?



most references and my own experience says

about three years and then move the patch

to another spot.

if you don't have bug or disease problems then you can keep them in

the same place, but you will still want to replace the oldest plants and do some work on the soil to get it recharged.

OK, wisdom filed for future use -- if I'm spared to carry out the move g
My last foray into strawberries is probably 4-5 years ago, and I don't remember and problems. Only did away with the site because of general garden config.

i turn most of my plants under and grow beans and peas and add green manure/worm castings.

mulching with pine-needles, shredded bark,

Ah, another worm casting freak! I debated started my own production, but ended up buying worm castings from store. Always use for transplant, and you're reminding me I have to cultivate around roots of many plants, and mix in worm casting.

i miswrote that and should have said worms/worm
castings as i also add worms. most of them will
die and provide fertilizer directly from their
remains, the few that survive (those that come from
the cocoons and those teeny ones) help keep the
rest of the population going. they are great
workers for our heavy soil, helping to break it up
and to get nutrients and air moving. for a few
years a strawberry patch is mostly no-till for
me other than spot weeding, getting rid of the
too many runners and adding mulches on top. the
worms do the digging.

right now i'm gradually shifting my worm
species diversity by including more natives in
my breeding bins. it will take a few years
before i'll get a large enough population
going, but it is interesting.


Hard to keep up with things, given all the watering one has to do.
Water is very expen$ive here and will probably get more so, given our State drought conditions.

i sure hope that improves... but there
are plants that will still fruit even in
arid climates, so all is not lost, just
that people may have to shift their
production towards those more arid tolerant
crops/plants.

i'd be recycling every bit of gray water
i possibly could out there. putting a
plug in the drain and scouping out the
water if i had to. when it gets that dry
i wouldn't want to waste a drop.


....
3-5 plants per square foot is plenty.



At present have far fewer.

put some ever bearing plants in and you might have another crop or two yet.

From your mouth to Her ear! Appreciate all the practical advice.

i wonder if you'll be able to find ever bearing
plants this late.


songbird