Shallots and Strawberrys

[Greenleaves]

Two questions please relating my planning for next year (yes I know its only July)

Shallots...how many would you plant and do you plant pre or post Christmas. ..any suggested variety?

Strawberrys....bare root plants, straight into the ground or over wintered in a cold greenhouse ...any suggested variety?

Thanks

[Alison]

I only grow about 20ish shallots as that is what I gave room for and go for long French type planted in the spring. Never done autumn planted shallots so can't comment on those.

Strawbs I always plant bare rooted in small pots but leave outside over winter, have had them a few inches under the snow in the past and they've been fine.

[Nicos]

Never grown autumn planted shallots but,as for strawberries...they are as tough as old boots as far as the winter is concerned.
I left about 20 bare rooted in a carrier bag in the garage over winter as I'd forgotten about them.
I planted them out in the spring and near enough as all of them grew.
And as Alison, I left about 30 runners in pots in situ with the stems cut amongst the parent plants and they coped fine with-15C and heavy snow.
I think the vulnerable bit us the crown and so long as that is kept above soggy soil they will survive.

[Bill HH]

Is there a reason people keep runners in pots rather than planting them in their final position?

[Nicos]

I just forgot about mine!
I tend to leave them in the pots for a while as the quality of the compost is lighter than my soil and I find the root system bulks up quicker.

[Alison]

Is there a reason people keep runners in pots rather than planting them in their final position?

Usually it's been that the bed hasn't been ready . I do always root them in pots next the parent plant as I find I get a better plant so there have also been occasions when I've not got around to moving them.

[Greenleaves]

Thank you all, much appreciated....