Strawberries, is it too late?

[RobMac]

My boys kindly bought me a strawberry planter for Father's Day, but is it too late to get hold of some plants and pot them up to get some fruit this year? Any advice on where to get some too if it's a go'er. Cheers

[Two_Sheds]

They won't fruit this year (they're in fruit right now), but get them in and they'll crop for you next year.

Where from? Any garden centre or Wilkinsons, or eBay, or online stores.

The cheapest ones are runners from someone else's plants: ask around, or put a "want" ad on Freegle

[FB.]

It's too late for regular strawberries but you might have enough time left this year for success with everbearers or alpines.

I can't say I've had much luck with everbearers though - they seem to be quite frail, fussy plants with no will to live. Their season is supposed to begin late in the regular strawberry season and last until autumn (July-September).

Alpines strawberries are good though. They will grow in three-quarter shade - only needing an hour of direct sun per day, along with adequate moisture.
Alpines don't produce runners and don't grow especially quickly, but they are tough, small, bushy shrubs which can be divided into several smaller plants every few years.
Their cropping season tends to start just after the maincrop strawberries and last until the chill of autumn (July-September). Mine have been flowering recently. They don't need netting from birds.

[The Masons]

Can I just jump on this thread and ask....... when you say that they wont fruit this year, two sheds, is that plants that are in flower or seeds if planted now?

[lainey lou]

Haven't tried them and they're pretty expensive but some misted tip strawberries can apparently crop in 60 days!

[RobMac]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Like the idea of planting now for next year, so will try and get some runners - great idea. And perhaps mix them up with some alpines.

[sugar]

It's is not too late. I purchased plants from cooling cells on June 17th and had a decent crop on them.
You are not purchasing regular plants, but the roots that are still in a cooling cell and think it is winter. As soon as you pot them up, they start to unleaf (it's spring for those plants), and they will flower within 4 weeks.

[rustylady]

Can I just jump on this thread and ask....... when you say that they wont fruit this year, two sheds, is that plants that are in flower or seeds if planted now?

If you can buy plants that are already in flower then you will get fruit. Personally I would propagate strawberries from runners rather than seed, but that's just me

[Alison]

If you can buy plants that are already in flower then you will get fruit. Personally I would propagate strawberries from runners rather than seed, but that's just me

Was going to say the same thing although I have grown very good alpines from seeds.