How do I clean up strawberry plants for next year? At the moment they
have not been touched since fruiting. Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Jonny

"Lettuce Pray" wrote in message
oups.com...
How do I clean up strawberry plants for next year? At the moment they
have not been touched since fruiting. Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Jonny

Chop them savagely. Remove every old leaf, even the slightest hint of
age/damage etc. it will soon produce new leaves, and will be much better off
come spring.

Steve

Would endorse Steve's comments - but would have done that after they
had finished fruiting
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

"cliff_the_gardener" wrote in message
ups.com...
Would endorse Steve's comments - but would have done that after they
had finished fruiting
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire


Astonishingly, I got a strawberry this week, long long after I thought
they'd finished. And I've got several flowers, but don't know if they'll
have long enough to fruit. This is on the runners that I put in pots and
forgot about all through the drought in July.

I've no idea how they survived, let alone fruited, but it came in handy
because the Mrs is in hospital at the moment, so I was able to take her a
freshly picked strawberry from the allotment. She was impressed.

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
"cliff_the_gardener" wrote in message
ups.com...
Would endorse Steve's comments - but would have done that after they
had finished fruiting
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire


Astonishingly, I got a strawberry this week, long long after I thought
they'd finished. And I've got several flowers, but don't know if they'll
have long enough to fruit. This is on the runners that I put in pots and
forgot about all through the drought in July.

I've no idea how they survived, let alone fruited, but it came in handy
because the Mrs is in hospital at the moment, so I was able to take her a
freshly picked strawberry from the allotment. She was impressed.

Steve


As posted, as soon as fruiting finished remove all leaves, taking care
not to damage the crown of the plants. It always amazes me as to how
quickly lovely new leaves grow.

shazzbat wrote:

Astonishingly, I got a strawberry this week, long long after I thought
they'd finished. And I've got several flowers, but don't know if they'll
have long enough to fruit. This is on the runners that I put in pots and
forgot about all through the drought in July.

I've no idea how they survived, let alone fruited, but it came in handy
because the Mrs is in hospital at the moment, so I was able to take her a
freshly picked strawberry from the allotment. She was impressed.

Steve

I have two pink flowered strawberry plants which produce flowers and
strawberries through the summer. Trouble is, the birds get them before
me - the flowers have worked their way through the netting, and I
haven't done anythign about it...

We're not talking major crop, here, but a pleasant little morsel when
taking a break from weeding.

Cat(h)

Lettuce Pray wrote:
How do I clean up strawberry plants for next year? At the moment they
have not been touched since fruiting. Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks, Jonny

Thanks to all who replied. I'll get to it asap.

Cat(h) wrote:
We're not talking major crop, here, but a pleasant little morsel when
taking a break from weeding.

I have some Diamante that are still going in a similar fashion. It's a
nice treat to have an unexpected strawberry or two now and again.

Rhiannon

shazzbat wrote:
Chop them savagely. Remove every old leaf, even the slightest hint of
age/damage etc. it will soon produce new leaves, and will be much
better off
come spring.

Should I also do that for this year's runners, or should I leave them?

Rhiannon

"Rhiannon Macfie Miller" wrote in message
...
shazzbat wrote:
Chop them savagely. Remove every old leaf, even the slightest hint of
age/damage etc. it will soon produce new leaves, and will be much
better off
come spring.

Should I also do that for this year's runners, or should I leave them?

Keep the ones you want to replace losses or increase your stock, and let a
couple more root into pots for contingencies/giving to friends etc, and lose
the rest.

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
"Rhiannon Macfie Miller" wrote in message
...

Should I also do that for this year's runners, or should I leave
them?

Keep the ones you want to replace losses or increase your stock, and
let a
couple more root into pots for contingencies/giving to friends etc,
and lose
the rest.

Sorry, I meant the plants that were runners last year and are now decent
plants growing where I want them, but which haven't done much by way of
fruiting this year, presumably because they've been too busy getting
established. Should I chop their leaves off as well?

Rhiannon

"Rhiannon Macfie Miller" wrote in message
...
shazzbat wrote:
"Rhiannon Macfie Miller" wrote in message
...

Should I also do that for this year's runners, or should I leave
them?

Keep the ones you want to replace losses or increase your stock, and
let a
couple more root into pots for contingencies/giving to friends etc,
and lose
the rest.

Sorry, I meant the plants that were runners last year and are now decent
plants growing where I want them, but which haven't done much by way of
fruiting this year, presumably because they've been too busy getting
established. Should I chop their leaves off as well?


Yep. anything even slightly iffy, holey leaves etc, get rid. Provided the
centre is alive and should be showing the green tips of emerging leaves now,
that's the bit you need, all the rest can go.

And the traditional wisdom is to burn rather than compost what you cut off,
because it harbours diseases, viruses etc.

Steve