Hi

I had a go a growing some strawberries last year without much success. I got
a few diffent plants from garden centre including Cambridge Vigour,
Favourite and a couple of others I can't remember. I stuck them outside in
growbags (6 plants in each) on a raised platform and watered, fed with
tomato food after the flowers had formed and picked off dead leaves etc. I
used growbags as I don't have a lot of space. The few strawberries that I
actually got were very tasty, just not many of them.

I totally neglected the plants over the winter with the intention of binning
them this year and trying a different technique. They seem to have perked up
though and I've taken off and planted some of the runners which also seem to
be doing well. Last years plants have loads of flowers at the moment. I've
read that flowers should be picked off. Why is this? As the old plants seem
to be doing well in last years growbags, I've left them. Should I transplant
them to new growbags? Any other strawberry growing tips?

TIA

Fergal

PS I'm in the Bristol area if it makes a difference.

"Fergal" wrote in message
...
Hi

I had a go a growing some strawberries last year without much success. I
got
a few diffent plants from garden centre including Cambridge Vigour,
Favourite and a couple of others I can't remember. I stuck them outside in
growbags (6 plants in each) on a raised platform and watered, fed with
tomato food after the flowers had formed and picked off dead leaves etc. I
used growbags as I don't have a lot of space. The few strawberries that I
actually got were very tasty, just not many of them.

I totally neglected the plants over the winter with the intention of
binning
them this year and trying a different technique. They seem to have perked
up
though and I've taken off and planted some of the runners which also seem
to
be doing well. Last years plants have loads of flowers at the moment. I've
read that flowers should be picked off. Why is this? As the old plants
seem
to be doing well in last years growbags, I've left them. Should I
transplant
them to new growbags? Any other strawberry growing tips?

TIA

Fergal

PS I'm in the Bristol area if it makes a difference.

Well you shouldn't pick the flowers off or you won't get any strawberries.

You've probably heard people advising the pulling off of the runners to
concentrate the plants efforts into making fruit. The plants will pretty
much do what they want though, after flowering and fruiting decide how many
you want to keep, and reduce to that amount, keeping a mixture of old and
new to get the best of both worlds.

Steve

Whatever else you do, DON'T PICK THE FLOWERS OFF - this is where the berry
comes from.

The crop from the first year is never very good but second and third years
you should find a vast improvement. In theory they should be replaced in the
fourth year - not 100% convinced of this but if you keep taking runners,
then you do have the opportunity of replacing at regular intervals.

They do need lots of feed - suggest high potash content.

Jeanne
"Fergal" wrote in message
...
Hi

I had a go a growing some strawberries last year without much success. I
got
a few diffent plants from garden centre including Cambridge Vigour,
Favourite and a couple of others I can't remember. I stuck them outside in
growbags (6 plants in each) on a raised platform and watered, fed with
tomato food after the flowers had formed and picked off dead leaves etc. I
used growbags as I don't have a lot of space. The few strawberries that I
actually got were very tasty, just not many of them.

I totally neglected the plants over the winter with the intention of
binning
them this year and trying a different technique. They seem to have perked
up
though and I've taken off and planted some of the runners which also seem
to
be doing well. Last years plants have loads of flowers at the moment. I've
read that flowers should be picked off. Why is this? As the old plants
seem
to be doing well in last years growbags, I've left them. Should I
transplant
them to new growbags? Any other strawberry growing tips?

TIA

Fergal

PS I'm in the Bristol area if it makes a difference.

" Jeanne Stockdale" wrote in message
...
Whatever else you do, DON'T PICK THE FLOWERS OFF - this is where the berry
comes from.

The crop from the first year is never very good but second and third years
you should find a vast improvement. In theory they should be replaced in
the fourth year - not 100% convinced of this but if you keep taking
runners, then you do have the opportunity of replacing at regular
intervals.


I realise that if I pick off the flowers, I'll get no fruit. Not that much
of a newbie What if I remove some of the flowers? For example, one of my
plants has about 30 flowers on it (a Cambridge Vigour), if I remove half of
them will I end up with 15 large berries as opposed to 30 small ones, or
just 15 small ones

I read somewhere that you're supposed to pick them off in the first year so
the plant can be stronger for the next year. I can't wait that long though.

They do need lots of feed - suggest high potash content.

When you say lots of potash feed, is a weekly dose of tomato food enough?

I had a go a growing some strawberries last year without much success. I
got
a few diffent plants from garden centre including Cambridge Vigour,
Favourite and a couple of others I can't remember. I stuck them outside
in
growbags (6 plants in each) on a raised platform and watered, fed with
tomato food after the flowers had formed and picked off dead leaves etc.
I
used growbags as I don't have a lot of space. The few strawberries that I
actually got were very tasty, just not many of them.

I totally neglected the plants over the winter with the intention of
binning
them this year and trying a different technique. They seem to have perked
up
though and I've taken off and planted some of the runners which also seem
to
be doing well. Last years plants have loads of flowers at the moment.
I've
read that flowers should be picked off.

I very much doubt you ever read that! Where do you think all fruits come
from if its not the flowers? Were you asleep in biology lessons?

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Jeanne Stockdale wrote:
you should find a vast improvement. In theory they should be replaced in the
fourth year - not 100% convinced of this but if you keep taking runners,
then you do have the opportunity of replacing at regular intervals.

This is what's suggested on the seed packet of my alpine strawberries. I
don't quite belive it either as this is their third year and they have
got better and better. I don't quite believe they will either suddenly
die off ot not produce anything next year. (OK I've potted up some new
ones this year just in case)


They do need lots of feed - suggest high potash content.

I quite agree. I give them a dusting once in a while.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons about the four year thing. Demanding
feeders burn out the energy supply in the immediate area???



BTW I *really* like these alpine ones. Small but very strong and they
can take a huge amount of various weather conditions.

For example, last summer on the hotest couple of days I forgot to water
them. They whole lot flaked out and all the plants were flat on the
floor. A quite water and into partial shade. A few days later it was
like it had never happened.

In article , Kevin Groves
writes

BTW I *really* like these alpine ones. Small but very strong and they
can take a huge amount of various weather conditions.

I have either these or a large fruited (up to marble sized) wild
strawberry growing in weed-like proportions in many of my flower beds.
They area fiddle to pick, but wonderful to browse when working in the
garden.

For example, last summer on the hotest couple of days I forgot to water
them. They whole lot flaked out and all the plants were flat on the
floor. A quite water and into partial shade. A few days later it was
like it had never happened.

I never have to water mine! But then, this is Yorkshire. And they're
growing in shade anyway.

Are yours growing in sun? You could try moving a few plants into a shady
area and seeing whether it affects the crop - if not, then you would
both get rid of the need for watering, and release a sunny area for
something else.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:
I have either these or a large fruited (up to marble sized) wild
strawberry growing in weed-like proportions in many of my flower beds.
They area fiddle to pick, but wonderful to browse when working in the
garden.

Ah mine are in very large tubs so good access. :-)


Are yours growing in sun? You could try moving a few plants into a shady
area and seeing whether it affects the crop - if not, then you would
both get rid of the need for watering, and release a sunny area for
something else.

Full sun and it's only carefull watering on the *very* hot days. I have
a large tank which I top up from my water buts to feed a gravity fed
irrigation system.

I have about a dozen fruits in the garden and most are in tubs which are
supplied by this method.

Looking good supply for this year although the redcurrents have wind damage.

Kev,