Strawberries

Im only returning to this site after a year and a half when my initial plans for a garden were ruined by Japanese knotweed, but Im prepared this time!

Anyway away from that garden, I love strawberries and have always wanted to grow them, so need a little help as I have read about them and gathered the simple fact, they grow anywhere and easy to do so...but I find thats never the case

My local garden centre has a variety of strawberries from "christines" "honeyoes" both I gather to be "early season" they are already in little 2/3 inch pots and have leaves, albeit it about inch tall, sorry im useless as technical descriptions or guessing their age, but they have sprouted anyway with maybe 2 leaves or so and tiny little bud in the middle almost.

I do have some large planting pots, what should I do with them for planting wise? just need compost and mix in maybe a little fertiliser? they seem healthy and cheap! 75p, so thought I could give them a go now and test it out..all helps appreciated greatly!

 

I've found that in my garden, the strawberries do best in the patches that get the most sun.

If the plants are 75p, I would hazard a guess that they are very young. Probably this year's runners. You might not get much of a crop off them next year, but maybe they'll do better the year after.

 

Hi Clueless, yes they do look to be very young indeed, and there are lots of them so you sound right that they could be runners, what would be a tell tale trait for a runner/ they do look like theyve been hastily planted as they are varying sizes and locations in the pot but all look similar...I dont mind a smaller crop but if I bought and planted now would they have a chance even to survive? should they be kept indoors or left out?

 

I don't know if I'd but any now, but then I don't have too much experience with strawbs.

Do you know anyone that already grows them? Strawberries send out loads of runners, and they're so easy to collect off a parent plant.

Otherwise, look out for cheap six packs in spring, Aldi often do them cheap.

 

You have a lot more than me! thanks again for the replies and heads up, I don't unfortunately no so stuck in that sense.

 

The runners i potted from my plants this year are outside but in a sheltered spot,they should be ok ,mine have survived winters before

 

Thanks lolimac, if anything would be an interesting experiment to see how they fair Ill be getting more pots and beds organised soon so that should all help when i plant...any experience with the "christine" or "honeyoe" variety yourself?

 

No Greecko i haven't grown those...the variety i have are Alice....lovely big sweet strawberries and crop pretty well in their first year

 

Ah Thank you! I do plan on getting a few raised beds for raspberries and blackberries, im setting out veg and fruit that I actually like, too much temptation to try all when really I will just bother with what i really like ha!

Its all a little daunting with planting out fruiting plants, I tried raspberries last year and only 1 survived and I long forgot its variety, didnt fruit but hope it might next year!