Alpine Strawberries

[Florence Fennel]

I have many alpine strawberry plants in troughs, still flourishing. Can anyone tell me what to do when they're finished? Do I cut them back or leave them, and will they survive if I leave them in the troughs over winter? Many thanks

[Baldy]

They are pretty hardy so should overwinter fine
When I grew them I tidied them up a bit but nothing too harsh. No expert though...

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks Baldy Just somebody taking an interest is nice

[BUFFS]

just chop back the foliage and weed around them but do not feed them, they do better in poor soil as they have that where they originate from. I planted 30 grown from seed and I cropped from them for the following 7yrs, between 1-2 big yoghurt potfuls each week from july to the frosts and they taste better than their big modern offspring, it seemed the worse the winter the better was the following crop..

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks Buffs I'll do that

[JusPotterinTim]

With day neutral strawbs (which Alpines are) I think they need a haircut of the older, taller leaves in autumn, leaving the newer, smaller ones coming out of the crown to help carry the plant through winter and spring so they can up energy and burst into life next year. Getting rid of the older ones helps stop diseases hanging around.

[Finley]

just chop back the foliage and weed around them but do not feed them, they do better in poor soil as they have that where they originate from. I planted 30 grown from seed and I cropped from them for the following 7yrs, between 1-2 big yoghurt potfuls each week from july to the frosts and they taste better than their big modern offspring, it seemed the worse the winter the better was the following crop..

Buffs when did you plant them? I've got a packet of seed I'm going to give a whole bed to alpine strawbs as something kept eating my regular strawbs and I'm hoping the alpines will be harder for my thief to find! Kind of tempted to just bung them in rather than waiting for spring if they're tough little beasts