last years strawberries

[Caithness Gardener]

last years strawbs are still in the growbags (well it saved having to strip turf in the polytunnel). Should I re-pot them in fresh bags disturbing the roots or leave them and feed them?

They have started to flower so I am putting them opoutside the tunnel to avoid the high temps that prevented them flowering last year

[tinyvine]

Hi
If they are flowering, they must be happy enough. I have some in tubs and they have been there for about 2-3 yrs and they are in full flower. If you wanted to repot them, the best time for this is winter, early spring when they are dormant. i wouldn't have thought moving them now would do them any good, but it may be possible, maybe someone who has tried it will tell you....

[wheatleys wheels]

It's probably best to leave them and feed and water well but I have successfully moved strawberry plants while they are in flower.... you need to try and remove the plant with all it's roots in tact... try not to break too many of them. Plant so that all roots are buried well in new soil and water well. I've not lost any that I can remember just because I moved them even in flowering. They like lots of new nutrients so if you're repotting in nutrient rich soil with plenty of water they will be ok. I've just moved another 3 plants in full flower today and am confident they will be ok. I only am not sure if it would work with the "alpine" rare breed miniture strawberries and I wouldnt want to risk it with those as I am under the impression that those are more fragile but I have a wide varety of strawberries and all seems ok to be moved.

The choice is yours.....

[JennieAtkinson]

I always keep a growbag in the polytunnel with strawberries - this will be their third year in the same grow bag - and they are flowering already. They always give me a few early strawberries, way ahead of those outside. I'll probably ditch them this year and and plant a few of this years runners in a new bag.

I have just given them a bit of a feed - just ordinary tomato feed. Another Grape elsewhere said that was all they needed.

So I'm looking forward to some early strawbs!

[Snadger]

Maybe irrelevent to this thread, but whilst clearing my overgrown plot through the winter and spring I came across a few strawberry plants. Each time I found a plant (about half a dozen in all) I dug it up with as much soil as possible and put it into an 8" pot until I could figure out where to put it and see if they were a feasible proposition.

They have been on the greenhouse staging ever since and are now laden with fruit, albeit green at the mo!

Who says you can't get "owt for nowt?"

[mrskp]

I like that theory Snadger. I'm hoping to have a whole Forsythia hedge on that basis courtesy of Daddy's bush ! Nothing to do with strawberries though, sorry !

[tinyvine]

I have just given them a bit of a feed - just ordinary tomato feed.

So I'm looking forward to some early strawbs!

Thanks JA, good tip.