Feeding strawberry plants

[CADS]

Hi

Just a few questions on strawberries.

My strawberry plants have started flowering and I think I have a couple which look like the beginning of strawberries. They are in a 10 plant terracotta strawberry planter.

Should I be feeding them?
If so is tomatorite ok to use, and how concentrated should I make the solution?

Finally, on the bottle it says to not get the solution on the leaves but I battle not to get the leaves wet when I am watering. Any suggestions how I can water the plants? Every time I water them the compost drains out. I don't think I will be using the planter next year.

Thanks
CADS

[LaurenGrows]

Hello CADS, welcome to the Vine .
A little trick I developed for my pots was....To use a (rough) circle of weed surpressing material in the bottom of each pot/tub. It allows the water to drain but I don't lose any of the compost, I can re-use this again next year after I have washed it. Works great. Hope this helps.

[CADS]

Thanks for the tip, LaurenGrows. I will have to file it away for next year.

[bubblewrap]

My strawberry plants leaves have gone white I tried feeding & given plenty of water.
I only bought the plants last September I prepared the bed with well rotted manure & riddled soil. But I don't know what the problem is. Any suggestions?

[Alice]

Hello Bubblewrap, if your strawberry leaves have gone white I think they have been chilled (frozen). Are they young plants not completely hardened ?

Hello Cads, yes tomorite is just exactly what you should be giving your strawberries. To water deep containers without wetting the plants I put a tube with holes in it at planting time (make them myself) into the container and pour the liquid feed into the tube.

[bubblewrap]

The plants were outside when I bought them from the garden centre last September & have been out side all winter but it is only in the past 4or5 weeks I have noticed the leaves turning white & now the plants seem to be flowering!

[leona]

i give my strawbs a foliar feed as well as normal feed. make the feed a bit more dilute and spray it on the leaves, dont do it in the middle of the day on a hot day though.

[wellie]

Hi Bubblewrap,

Sometimes the leaves on any plant turn a bit 'white' as the water or liquid feed dries on the leaf in the sunshine. I'm not talking about sun 'scorch', but the 'deposits' in the water/feed - which is nothing to worry about. Some of my greenhouse tomatoes etc. are like that at the minute too. As long as your strawberry plants are looking healthy and growing away nicely, they'll be fine.

[bubblewrap]

Thanks Wellie.
It dosen't look like a "feed residue" deposit to me, but more like veregated leaves to me.
This problem has been around for a few weeks.
PS. I would say very pale green rather than white.

[Madasafish]

I gave my starwberries a dose of general flower and fruit soluble feed last week before the rain. I'll give another after flowering. Keeps them strong and helps big berries imo.

[CADS]

Thanks

I will use the tomorite. Do I just follow the instructions on the bottle for tomato plants or do I need to vary the timing and dilution for strawberries?

cads