Strawberry patch care

[saffron_envy]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and have a question about my strawberry patch. I have it on a raised bed which we put in because we'd chopped down 'mini' conifers and couldn't get the stumps out. We filled the raised bed with garden centre compost and compacted it down. No idea if that's the way to do things but seemed to work for me. Anyway, that was in 2012, had 3 years of strawbs on there and they've been great. At the end of the season they tend to go mental and put out runners everywhere, so I dig the whole lot up and take all the plants out, stomp the ground down and replant a select few. I just leave them to it over winter and they always survive. Didn't get a great yield this year. And also get a LOT of weeds
.
I've just read about 'green manure' and wondered whether it might be worth trying this? I don't have anything else planned for this bed. I'm going to do potatoes next year but understand you should keep strawbs and pots away from each other? Any thoughts?

[burnie]

Trouble is by digging them up you are stopping them from establishing, strawbs are grown on a cycle with each year getting better crops. After five years you dig up the old plants, bin them and plant new plants in a new location, you can of course use your own plants runners, potted up and planted in the new bed.

[WendyC]

When you say the strawberries are ON a raised bed, are they in a container on the raised bed or actually growing in the garden centre compost? I'm assuming the latter.
Firstly what feed have your strawberries had in the last three years. There are enough nutrients in compost for about 5-6 weeks, then it needs topping up. Also compost is very light and not ideal just on it's own.
I grow strawberries on a three year cycle, taking enough new runners to replace a third of my plants each year. As said before they don't need digging up each year. There are good growing guides on this site and on Ken Muir's site.
What is it that you actually want to grow in this bed? To improve the soil I would add equal amounts of well rotted manure and some top soil. The reason it is not advised to follow strawberries and potatoes is that they are from the same botanical family so share diseases.

[Alison]

I replace a third of my plants every year as they drop off production after that. They're also best planted in different ground as it will be depleted in nutrients and possibly harbouring disease. If you can't move then you can replenish the soil which will help. Bit confused as to why you're stomping on the ground as this will compact it which isn't really beneficial.

[saffron_envy]

Thank you everyone Yes I am a complete novice! I feel guilty to admit it but I've never fed the strawberries! I didn't realise about getting them established, so I will definitely keep them in the ground and not upset them from now on. I've been reading some of the guides on this site which are very interesting and helpful so thanks for pointing me in the direction of those. Also, I was stomping down the bed because as it's 100% bagged compost it's very springy. I think I'll carry on with the strawbs in that raised bed, and have the potatoes in bags. I have a nice bit of compost from my bin, but if the strawbs are still in the ground how would I add it? Just lay it on top around the plants?

[burnie]

I have a nice bit of compost from my bin, but if the strawbs are still in the ground how would I add it? Just lay it on top around the plants?

Yup, it's called mulching.

[saffron_envy]

When's the best time of the year to do this?