In door Strawberries

[burnie]

These are some of the Mara des Bois I grow in the greenhouse in some spare window boxes, almost ready.


These are some of the same varieties grown in pots that go outside if the weather is kind, all are pollinated using a small paint brush(whilst humming like a bee in case they are listening).

[Earthgirl Jen]

Burnie these look gorgeous, how's the harvest been? Whilst we may be North and South of the UK we've had no prolonged warmth so far this year and I have resorted to bringing my pots of strawberries into the conservatory. They are finally starting to produce! lol...

[bikermike]

We have a small collection of about 10 plants in pots (well, waitrose meat containers) on top of the shedlet. That is on a west-facing wall. I'd say we've had about the same level of strawberries (about 3ish per night) as previous years. But started a bit later.

[burnie]

Burnie these look gorgeous, how's the harvest been? Whilst we may be North and South of the UK we've had no prolonged warmth so far this year and I have resorted to bringing my pots of strawberries into the conservatory. They are finally starting to produce! lol...

Hi Jen, not bad at all, these perpetuals can have a sort of breather after the first flush, you remove old fruiting stems, then the second flush of flowers come in. I have the window boxes still in the greenhouse, but the big pots are now outside on a raised bench to make it a bit more difficult for the slugs to climb up. All have plenty of flowers and I am still picking a few berries, these plants are not as prolific as your Cambridge Favourites for example, but they fruit over a much longer period and the flavours are very good. I will probably still be picking a few berries right up the end of September and the first frosts.

[Earthgirl Jen]

Burnie I have perpetual strawberries as well! Lol. There was an offer for 18 plug plants last July. I bought them because my Dad loves them, I had 6 plug plants each of Delizz, Toscana and Frisan. I potted them into 1lit pots and they gave us strawberries until Oct last year, at which point they were covered in whitefly, we then discovered that my Dad was unable to digest the seeds so I threw them all outside sat in their watering tray which was consistently sat in at least 1" of water all winter through frost and cold. Around February I looked at them, all still alive and potted them all into 3 lit pots. Everyone is still alive and thriving. Like you they haven't been happy with this cold wet weather but enough to make strawberry syrup (minus seeds) for my dad, enough to give a punnet to my neighbour who loves them and enough to keep us in strawberries for our cereal every day... lol... The plants in the pots are now producing much bigger flowers in the conservatory and bulking up enough which makes me think they may well need dividing at the end of this year? what do you think?

[burnie]

I've never tried division, I tend to take a couple of runners from each plant each year and I will compost the parent plants at 4 years old, this is following the sort of procedure that the commercial farmers do round here in the poly tunnels. I will repot each plant in the spring with MPC with some added slow release fertiliser like fish, blood and bone, I then feed once a week with tomato liquid fertiliser during the fruiting season.

[Babru]

Burnie, I've just planted up a couple of ever-bearing strawberries in a trough. When do you usually bring yours into the greenhouse, to get your early crop?

[Babru]

My planted-up trough of ever-bearers has more flowers on it . I don't know whether to leave them outside to the mercies of the rain and wind, or take them inside to the greenhouse for shelter, but much hotter and more humid. Any thoughts anyone?

[burnie]

My planted-up trough of ever-bearers has more flowers on it . I don't know whether to leave them outside to the mercies of the rain and wind, or take them inside to the greenhouse for shelter, but much hotter and more humid. Any thoughts anyone?

My troughs are back inside and I am pollinating the flowers with a small brush again, the big pots are still outside, but the wasps are eating most of the fruit before its fully ripe.

[Babru]

Thanks, I'll take mine into the greenhouse then.

[burnie]

I've just been pollinating Strawberry flowers with a little paint brush, can't help thinking it's a bit early, but hey ho.

[Can the Man]

As my strawberries are only plant 2 weeks I’m not seeing any flowers yet, but hopefully soon. Is it really necessary to pollinate with a brush ?

[Babru]

My ever bearers Albion have been in the greenhouse all winter, and now have lots of flowers. I'm pollinating with a paintbrush as per Burnie's advice.

[Stan79]

Does that give better results?

[burnie]

With plants under glass and the pollinators not getting in yet as the auto vents are closed, I pollinate my plants just to help them along...…………………….and don't forget to buzz like a bee...………….