Climbing Strawberries

[veggiechicken]

Does anyone know anything about Mount Everest Climbing Strawberries please?
Blackmoors Strawberry Mount Everest Blackmoor Nurseries have them on special and I wondered whether they were worth a try - might keep the fruit out the way of the slugs.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Might keep the fruit out the way of the slugs.

My slugs could climb Mount Everest if their slime wouldn't freeze first

[chris]

They look great - going to try them, though I suspect snails around my place will be more of a problem.

[lottie dolly]

I have some small plants,a few weeks ago,but have to wait until next year to see what becomes of them

[veggiechicken]

They could be left to dangle rather than supported. That might give the slugs/snails a run for their money!

[veggiechicken]

BTW there are some old threads on here about these strawberries but no conclusions and most of the contributors don't seem to be active Grapes now. I did search, honest!!

[lottie dolly]

So did i VC,and came to your conclusion,so i took a chance and got some,i got 10 plants in little pots,some looked really dead,so they sent me another 5,so update is,out of the 15 plants,only aprox 8 look like they will be ok,some other strawberries i got at the same time{maxim,giants}are doing great,am really pleased with them,i thought about some in a hanging baskets,but,that means a lot of watering,plus up and down steps as they are reputedly over 1 mtre,and they apparently do not self climb,you have to tie them up like your tomatoes,

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Lottie! I'm guessing that you didn't buy yours from Blackmoors?
Chris or anyone thinking of ordering - if you enter the code "facebook" when ordering you should get 10% discount

[lottie dolly]

your right VC,i got them from spaldings plant and bulbs,the climbing ones arived 5 to a container,in little pots aprox2in square,they did not look very health to start with,when i phoned to tell of my disapointment,i was tolled,well they are dormant,but i know when a root is dead said I,so she reluctantley sent another 5 plants,and they no better,out of them all aprox 8 have green bits,the same as the other strawbs i got,sooo,have just got to sit it out till next year and see what,if anything develops,i will say,the plants and leaves are a lot smaller than your usually strawb plants,if i get no joy from ten of them,my original order,i shall have nice words first,

they were bakkers trailing strawb,the same as everest,just a diferent name,i got a double pk,10 plants for £15,postage ????

[chris]

Cheers mush. Have ordered them, will let you know how they turn up/out

[Ananke]

ooooh, I like the look of these, think I might try some.

[hamamelis]

I bought some last year, and to be honest, I can't tell the difference between then and my other strawberries. The runners are a little longer maybe, but nothing impressive.

Maybe I got sold duds, I dunno, but I was disappointed.

[lottie dolly]

I sincerely hope mine do something,or i shall have words,and not just to myself,i shall try in different places,inside and out,and under netting,that way there should be a reasonable assessement,

[marchogaeth]

I grew these last year; they are not climbers. If you tie the runners to poles they won't object but they have no natural inclination to go upwards.

Mine came from T&M and were well grown plants when I got them at the end of April. I did them in hanging baskets in the polytunnel and they did ok fruit wise but not pounds and pounds despite careful watering and feeding. I did think they were a bit tasteless but we were really short of sunshine when they were mainly fruiting. I did get fruit on the runners.

They apparently take two years before you can divide them for new plants. I brought my early strawberries into the tunnel last week including the baskets. A few of the plants have now got a second crown so that looks to be correct. Some of them were also producing flowers and many had clearly produced fruit after I'd chucked them out of the tunnel into the garden in October to get some cold! In addition, some of the runners have rooted like normal strawberries (but lots hadn't) so I'm going to grow these on although I haven't seen this recorded anywhere as a way to propogate them but it has to be surely?

In general I have found very little information on how to treat them so it will be good to have a cluster of us all having a go.

PS Can't believe I've only just found this thread. Christmas brain freeze maybe!

[veggiechicken]

If anyone is ordering these, Blackmoors also have a weekend Twitter offer of 3 Autumn Bliss Raspberry canes for £1 Twitter Bargain Offer Blackmoor Nurseries - don't know whether it would be included with the same postage cost as the strawbs

Edit - Its £3.50 p&p for the strawbs and £5.50 p&p if you have rasps as well.