Planning for Strawberries

[KevinM67]

After 5 years, I'm finally getting round to devoting a section of my to plot to growing various fruit.

Whilst most of my bushes will obviously be in semi-permanent positions - I'm struggling a little on planning for strawberries.

I have an area for where they will be going now - with a space for a couple of adcitional beds for planting on runners.

However, planning ahead - as you are advised to replace strawb plants after 3 years, can you plant the new ones in the same beds ?

If not, how do others manage to rehouse them and fit them in with their crop rotation plan (I can remember reading that they shouldn't be planted where tomatoes have been)

Does this post actually make any sense ??

[Kristen]

If you don't have raised / segregated beds then one option is to take one runner off the left-most (or right-most) row of plants, and peg that to one side to create a new row, and then remove the oldest row on the other side. The Strawberries will "march" across the plot in successive years.

For an in-situ alternative then grow three (say) rows and remove one of the rows each year, after fruiting, and allow one runner to replace them. Dunno how well this works for soil fertility etc.

[WendyC]

I have grown in the same ground but make sure the tround is well fed and used "root grow" to help establish. Having said that I've never had any disease on them either, so perhaps just got lucky.

[KevinM67]

Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer.

I havd set aside 4 designated beds - 2 which will be filled immediately with incoming strawbs, with the other 2 to be used for planting runners eventually.

I guess my original question should have been - would these 4 beds be sufficient to continually rotate new plants after 3 years, or should I be planning on designating a new area on my plot for them in a few years time.

Having read WendyC's post, I'm encouraged that the same area might be OK

[Alison]

I only planted up one bed the first year, used runners on another one the next year and the same the year afterwards. That meant I had the number of plants I wanted with a view to replacing a third every year. I then removed the first plants at the end of the third year and moved them to a fourth bed. After six years I've gone back to the first bed after using it to grow other things in the intervening years. Alternatively I could have worked on the soil and not bothered rotating but I wanted to reduce the chances of pest build up and plant specific nutrient deficiencies. As already discussed though the biggest reason for reduced crops is worn out plants so I'd say replacing every 3 (or 4 max) years so as you have four beds I'd be inclined to replace one every four years which will mean you'll get similar harvests every year (weather dependent) as across the plants you'll have the same number of new ones each year.

[KevinM67]

Cheers Alison - having thought about your post, and a little re-think on what I was planning to do, I've cracked it.

Many thanks.

[Kristen]

I have "long beds", so would not suit me to have several whole beds dedicated to Strawbs ... I could divide the Strawb bed into 3 sections, and replace / replant one each year ... however I have half a dozen varieties down the length of my bed, from Early to Late croppers ...

So, for me, removing one-row-within-the-bed each year suits me better.

Hope that makes sense? I would find it easier to explain if you could see me waving my arms about!!

[KevinM67]

I have "long beds", so would not suit me to have several whole beds dedicated to Strawbs ... I could divide the Strawb bed into 3 sections, and replace / replant one each year ... however I have half a dozen varieties down the length of my bed, from Early to Late croppers ...

So, for me, removing one-row-within-the-bed each year suits me better.

Hope that makes sense? I would find it easier to explain if you could see me waving my arms about!!

I forgot I had different varieties coming

Another re-think needed.

[Kristen]

If you are going to have multiple beds you could do "zones" of each variety.

I have my varieties organised in fruiting-sequence, so that I can move the netting along the bed as flowering finishes and fruit starts to ripen (need to give the pollinators access during flowering, and keep the birds off as the fruit ripens)

Then take runners off each variety and plant up similar zones in next year's bed?

[KevinM67]

If you are going to have multiple beds you could do "zones" of each variety.

I have my varieties organised in fruiting-sequence, so that I can move the netting along the bed as flowering finishes and fruit starts to ripen (need to give the pollinators access during flowering, and keep the birds off as the fruit ripens)

Then take runners off each variety and plant up similar zones in next year's bed?

Of course - too much thinking on my part, where a problem doesn't really exist.

Thank you.

(I feel a bit silly now)

[Kristen]

The only silly questions are the ones that people DON'T ask

[FlawlessVictory]

I have 40 Strawberry plants and another lot coming from the raspberry & strawberry offer from this glorious magazine. I'm going to be digging a bed tomorrow for them and I can't wait. Good tip on the netting suggestion. I have bought strawberries that fruit at different times aswell.

[Snow]

I have a few that I got this year that I put in baskets hanging off the fence. They did alright but I didn't know you needed to replace them every three years. Good job I've already got two or three runners. All I could be bothered to do. I'll be hanging again next year. Do they need any specific care over winter?