planting strawberries

[chefgage]

I have two raised beds which have been used to grow get in. Next year one will be given up grow strawberries in.





When should the new plants be planted out as I have seen the plants for sale now.
Is it better to plant in spring? Also what should I be doing to prepare the soil?

[Newton]

They look fab.......add a top dressing of two inches of well rotted manure and let the worms take it in over winter.

I have just potted up a load. 32 runners....I have zillions more.......but I think they won't really produce fruit next summer. Try to cadge some I year old plants off allotments! Some people dig them up regularly....

Front garden too.......respect!

[chefgage]

Thanks for that. The veg does really well in these beds. The front
Garden wasn't really used for much so we got a skip in and dug
Everything up, then set about making the raised beds

[Newton]

There will be lot of other posts with advice......the trouble with strawbs is that you will need to leave them in for 3 years or so and they will take up the whole bed. They are not the most attractive plants over winter.....but wow...think of all the fruit in the summer.

[Potstubsdustbins]

First must say I admire your beds great job. Second I hope the people in your area are honest or you will find you get very little fruit.

Strawberries are usually planted anywhere between Sept and March so depending on the cultivar you should be OK. Don't expect to much in the first year the second and third years are usually the best. They are a very hardy plant and will survive all but the very harshest off winters in fact I can't remember loosing a plant to bad weather.

With that amount of space I would plant different varieties to prolong my cropping season Flamenco for instance will give you 2 crops one early and one late summer. Where as Marshmello will start to crop earlier.

Hope this helps Colin

[chefgage]

First must say I admire your beds great job. Second I hope the people in your area are honest or you will find you get very little fruit.

Strawberries are usually planted anywhere between Sept and March so depending on the cultivar you should be OK. Don't expect to much in the first year the second and third years are usually the best. They are a very hardy plant and will survive all but the very harshest off winters in fact I can't remember loosing a plant to bad weather.

With that amount of space I would plant different varieties to prolong my cropping season Flamenco for instance will give you 2 crops one early and one late summer. Where as Marshmello will start to crop earlier.

Hope this helps Colin

Both beds have been full of veg the last two summers with no problems of people stealing them so should be ok

[Florence Fennel]

Those beds look brilliant Chefgage, well done. Good luck with your strawberries and welcome to the Vine!

[rollerdave]

Any advice on what to do with Strawberry plants over winter. My patch has been decimated with weeds and I was wondering whether I could cut them all back, or will that kill them off?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi Dave and welcome to the vine.

Clear out the weeds as much as possible, then cut off all the brown and dead leaf from the strawberry plants just make sure you don't damage the crown.

I like to top dress my strawberries in spring leaving them to go dormant over winter.

Colin

[Butterfly19]

I was given about 20 strawberry plants 2 weeks ago which were taken from runners.I've planted them in pots and they are in the greenhouse ( no heating).Should i keep them in there or put them outside?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Normally I would say outside but if they are small plants I can see no harm in leaving them in the GH till spring.

Colin

[donnakebab]

I agree. I planted my strawberries from runners last spring through that black mesh fabric to suppress weeds. Wasn't expecting much fruit which was fair enough. I have also cut off any runners to enable the plants to establish and they are looking green and bushy. Have removed any dead or dying leaves etc. to keep them neat and tidy and will start feeding in spring. I kept watering through the summer because it was so dry and I think this has paid off. Have been told the plants should be replaced every 3 to 4 years using their own healthy runners. Free plants...sounds good to me and make good presents for like minded peeps.