Strawberries dying?

[stv]

Hi, am about prepare a new raised strawberry bed. My previous bed has 1 year old plants in but a number of them have no green shoots not leaves whatsoever and certainly appear dead! Is it most likely that they are dead and should be dug out or is it possible that they are dormant following fruiting in the sujmmer?
It seems early to me that they would die back especially as it has been quite mild lately.
Any ideas what might have killed them off? no obvious signs of distress- under watering perhapos?

Thanks Stv

[quark1]

Firstly - don't panic!

Yes they do go quite dormant after the growing/fruiting season - but there's usually a hint of bud/green to be seen.

I lost a whole bunch some years back due to some vile insect nasty which chewed all mine unseen and beneath ground level.

I would suggest that you select the 'nastiest' of the bunch and split it open to see if it really is as dead as you think. Look for rot or areas which look eaten. Mine were destroyed by something eating the base of the crown rendering the plant unviable. If this is the case BURN or get rid of the plant material in your rubbish collection.

I had 5 grow bags with 15 seedlings growing on from last years attempt at seed grown strawbs which I've recently placed in flower buckets. There is possibly one station that had been allowed to dry out too much and may have failed? - my fault thru neglect. So I will have to split one of the other bigger plants which looks like it could give up a pair to replace. Perhaps a drenching might revive if it lacking water?

Hope you can recover as many as poss.