Strawberries

[helly]

My Strawberry plants have been bare over the winter, should I be covering them with straw and let the new leaves grow through
cheers Helen

[SarahStrawberry]

Hi Helly

Mine are in a unheated polytunnel, have been all winter, and i never cover them, i've just noticed today that they've started to grow their new leaves so I am happy today. Fresh, home grown, berries are only a few months away - yay!

[Florence Fennel]

Mine are in a bed outside in the garden Helen. The only time I use straw is when they start to fruit to keep the fruits off the soil. I didn't bother last year and they were fine, in fact there were less slugs!

[chris]

I didn't use straw over winter, mine have been bare all winter and any that have survived being eaten by the chickens are now sporting new leafs

[northepaul]

No, straw will just encourage rotting as the weather is not warm enough but damp.
They'll be fine - mine survived the snow with no protection and are growing well.

[Dottie]

I've never covered strawberries for winter and only use staw or other stuff, to cover the soil near fruiting time.

[helly]

Thats great info, I'll give them a good tidy up this week and I've read somewhere that a good dilute of tomato feed (due to the potasium) will help? Any thoughts on that
cheers Helen

[Aberdeenplotter]

A dressing of sulphate of potash - half ounce per square yard along each side of the row after you tidy them up should set them up for the season and no other fertiliser should be needed unless growth has been poor in which case apply a further dressing of sulphate of ammonia at half ounce per square yard in April should be applied.

[Jono]

Mine are in a bed outside in the garden Helen. The only time I use straw is when they start to fruit to keep the fruits off the soil. I didn't bother last year and they were fine, in fact there were less slugs!

Same for me.