Strawberry problems

[forkinweeds]

Hey there!

Just wondered if anyone could help? I planted some strawberries last Autumn in a wooden half barrel. I decided to do this as we haven't got very much room plus wanted to get them off the ground to deter the slugs.

Our first lot of strawberries had started to go red and look fab. On the next visit we realise that some pesky creatures had got there first. I moved some of the leaves out the way to have a look and found that we'd got an infestation of woodlice. Very annoying.

Does anyone know a way of getting rid of them?

Thank you!

[rustylady]

Try slug pellets, not sure if they will work. Woodlice like it damp and shady, and feed off rotting material (if they can't get fresh strawberries). My strawberries are in smaller pots so the fruit hang well clear of the container, but I've had a real problem with woodlice, slugs and snails on the allotment this year.

[forkinweeds]

Thanks Rustylady!

Will give it a try. I think they have enough fresh strawberries to keep them going, so probably doesn't look good, grrr!

We've had loads of problems too. Last year our courgette plants did brilliantly, this year we've planted twice as many and the slugs have taken them back to stumps, no leaves left for them to get going again, our runner beans have had the same treatment. When's it going to stop raining?!

Thanks again, you never know, it may work.

[Curvy Vixen]

Don't know if it would help but I was buying stuff for the garden last night and they have a Woodlice Killer gun ~ bit like a Bug Gun but specially for woodlice. Might be Doff that makes it but it's a big blue spray bottle with a massive ugly Woodlouse picture on the front ~ you can't miss it!!

[zanussi101]

another strawberry problem

Hello!

has anyone got any suggestions what i could put around my strawberry plants which are in the ground. at the moment they're going mushy, mouldy or being eaten.

I know straw is ideal but i was hoping there might be something that i could find around the house to use.

thanks
x

[Madasafish]

I used to make plastic collars to fit on the ground under the fruits .. from old compost bags..
but
in very wet weather they hid slugs and they rotted anyway.

So I gave up!

At present I reckon I'm throwing away half the fruit as rotten and the mice and slugs eat half of what is left..

(This is normal for a wet summer imo)

[rustylady]

It's a horrible job, but you do need to pick off all the brown or mouldy leaves and rotten fruit or the rot will spread. It's been so wet this year, I think everyone is having the same problems. Either the slugs/snails/woodlice eat them, they rot, or the birds have been getting them. Next year I am deffo putting straw and slug pellets round them - we'll probably have a drought next year!!!

[dan1979]

I have straw on mine (which are in containers) but all the ones that have fruited a decent amount have completely shrivelled up and gone brown. They don't seem to be quite dead but look in a bad way.

The ones that didn't fruit look quite lush and green.

[laurierose]

Woodlice have eaten my strawbs too and did last year too. WE used straw under them but that didn't deterrrrr the pests. Have just heard that talc helps, has anyone else tried that yet?

[celticmyth]

I bought a bag of perlite and covered the soil in the pots around my strawbs,thinking it might keep the slugs off and no problems with pests so far ;-)

[gojiberry]

Try using black landscape fabric I find it brilliant under strawberries. Would not think that woodlice would eat strawberries. Almost certainly birds and slugs. I have found in the past that even with netting if it isn't 100% secure the birds will get in. Blackbirds especially.

Ian