Do you need to fertilise strawberries?

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows if you need to put fertiliser of some sort on strawberries? My mum has a strawberry patch which she has never put fertiliser or manure on because she thought she read somewhere you aren't supposed to put fertiliser on them. But she is wondering now if maybe she should put something on them, they are quite small and wizened this year so she was thinking they may be needing feed of some sort. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas. Thanks

 

Certainly wont hurt to feed them once the fruits start. Your Mum is probably thinking that if you feed them before the fruits come you'll get a lot of leaf growth

 

Yep, as Zig says it encourages leaf growth but feeding them produces more and bigger fruit. Ideally Ist year plants shouldn't be fed much to encourage rooting rather than leaf, (you will get fruit though) Remove runners. 2nd year feed heavily to produce big plants and hopefully lots of fruit. You can remove some leaf once they start to bear fruit. The runners this year can be pushed into the soil to produce a new plant for next year. Keep the parent plant for one more year then dig up because they wont produce fruit as well as in the first 3 years. hope this helps.

 

ok thanks guys, i'll pass that on

 

My nephew keeps strawb`s and he feeds them with Tomorite.

He says they do well but he`s yet to provide me with a punnet

 

Yes! We (that isnt the royal We) just my wife and I feed them tomato food (by the way it can be bought from one og the 'cheapie' ships for half the price.