Single or mix variety in container ?

[tweety]

Hi,

I have bought some strawberry plants from the garden center (as I don't feel the one I grow from seed will give any fruit this year... am I wrong ?)...
well anyway I have early, mid and late season and I have different varieties of strawberries.

I am now wondering what is the best way to plant them...
I know they'll go in hanging basket but is it better to plant each variety on their own or can I mix them ?
and if I mix them, is it better to go with a basket of early, one of mid and one of late, or can I put a plant of each so I always have fruits and flowers in the baskets ?

I was wondering the same about beans. I already have some dwarf hestia beans seeds and I am looking for another variety of dwarf beans (maybe duel or tendergreen). can I plant them together or in their own pots ?

thanks in advance for your advice.
stephanie

[organic]

I've put 2 early, 2 mid and 2 late strawberres in a planter - one died but it was in bad shape before I even planted it.
My girlfriend has the same in one strawberry pot.
Neither of us have noticed anything that suggests they don't like it.

If it was me I'd put a mix in each one for the exact reason you mentioned - longer flowering.

The only exception I'd make to that is this:
If you've only got a small corner that gets full sun, I'd probably put each variety in a separate pot or basket and then move each one into the full-sun spot as it started setting fruit.

My planter is in the best place I can put it and it's only partial sun (up until about 1pm or so). My girfriend's strawberry pot is in full sun (from about 10am onwards I think) and sets more and bigger fruit than mine.

Others may have other adivce - but that's mine. Good luck (and be sure to net the plants to stop birds getting to the berries - I lost most of my tiny crop last year - the second year should be a much bigger crop though and I will NOT be losing this one).

Oh and I wouldn't bother "pinching out" the flowers like some suggest. I pinched out half of mine and left the others and I can't see a blind bit of difference between the plants that fruited and the ones that just had to make leaves all season.

Happy growing!

[tweety]

Organic

Thanks for the reply...

mix container it will be then, unless someone else had a very bad experience with this...
the basket will be in full sun from about 11am... as for the netting, I will keep this in mind. but I cannot remember ever seeing a bird in my garden since I moved in 6 years ago... must be the neighbourg's cats that keeping them away ! (the same cat I will be battling against to prevent my plants being dug up... )


any idea if "bean mix" is a good idea too ?

[Jax]

I think the only reason to keep them singularly (in my opinion) is for organisation, to remember what is where and when it should fruit etc etc. All of mine are mixed and I no longer have a single clue as to what is planted where lol. They all seem healthy though x

[Gwen11ian]

Singular mixes might be best for pollination. More flowers in one pot at a time, as they come into their season.. which will make easier work for the bee's.. and ensures each one get's pollinated. If you've only got a few flowers way up in the air in a hanging basket, they might not find them.