Sad strawberries

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Sarah Eley, Jul 4, 2024.

  1. Sarah Eley

    Sarah Eley Gardener

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    Hello All
    We have wild strawberries in a strawberry container (fabric) which did well last year, much to the delight of the birds.
    This year the leaves have gone flimp and there is only one flower which has turned into a pea sized green strawberry.
    What should I do next?
    Thank you.
     
  2. amancalledgeorge

    amancalledgeorge Super Gardener

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    It sounds to me like they dried out, they can be very dramatic when that happens. Can you add a couple of photos to help us out?
     
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    • fairygirl

      fairygirl Total Gardener

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      I'd agree that drying out is one of the most likely reasons @Sarah Eley . Strawbs need lots of food and water, and those bags will dry out pretty quickly if you aren't careful. The mix the plants are in can contribute to that too.
      Strawbs also need rejuvenated every few years, so they may also be very congested depending on how long you've had them. They produce runners, which are then grown on for future harvests, so there could be too many in the bags. If there's only one flower, it sounds like nutrition is the biggest problem, along with that congestion. The size of the bags is also a factor.

      Photos will definitely help, as well as some more info about the age of the plants and the care they've had etc. :smile:
       
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      • ricky101

        ricky101 Total Gardener

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        Also worth lifting one up and checking what the roots look like as they could have been chewed away by Vine Weevil grubs which love Strawb plants, though they might not be there now as they may have hatched out into the Adult form.

        002120.jpg
         
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        • Sarah Eley

          Sarah Eley Gardener

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          I should have said they are alpine strawberries. The leaves are not upright, they've gone limp.
           

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        • Sarah Eley

          Sarah Eley Gardener

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          Here they are after a bucket of water and some tomorite.
           
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