Strawberry Advice

I have six strawberry plants in a growbag (in unheated greenhouse). Three pairs, cambridge favourite, matis, red glory. The all seem to be growing well, we have been taking the flowers off, they are now putting runners out.

This is our first time strawberrying and we are unsure when to stop taking the flowers off, we would like a crop this year. So any advice towards getting a healthy crop this year would be appreciated.

All plants were purchased from various garden centres this year.

smiles
adam

 

Why would you take the flowers off?
These are the the potential fruit.
Six plants in one growbag is a bit tight too.
This is a learning curve for you........We have all been there.:gnthb:

 

Read that taking the early flowers off focused the plant into getting bigger and growing more healthily. Saying that i can't find where i found that information or when to let the flowers go to fruit.

Yep its all a big learning curve.

We've had a pitta bread with our own radishes and rocket in it and it was very satisfying, hoping to get strawberries too.

Figure we will learn a lot in this first year so that we can make different mistakes next year : }

adam

 

strawberries are more hardy than what people think. mine as lasted the last 2 winters. and this year itis looking even better than last. best thing i find is to just leave it be. let it do it's thing. and u will get some good berries. just trim off any dead branches. so all you have left is the greeny stuff.
this year i.m going to try and get seeds from mine as it's an hardy plant.
good luck. ps dont cut off any more flowers. also brush your hands through the leaves and flowers. helps polination.

 

I agree about them being hardy. I've had three strawberry plants in a trough style planter for a couple of years now, outside in all weathers (including over the last winter) and with some fresh compost and a feed, they're sending out new flower buds everywhere. They'd been left behind a few larger plants (in pots) and I was going to bin them earlier, until I decided to see how they'd perform this year.

Leave the flowers alone - size isn't everything!

 

Hi Adam. Strawberries are hardy and will get on fine outside.
They grow them in fields round here and I'm in Perthshire.
My strawberries have been in the strawberry bed right through this cruel winter we have had and they are just fine.
You can grow them in a greenhouse or polytunnel to get an early crop but they taste like the ones you buy in the supermarket - of nothing !
For that real strawberry taste they are better grown outdoors - even if it is a later, lighter crop.
No need to take the flowers off - that's what produces the strawberries.
There is a school of thought that says take the flowers off in their first year, but I don't subscribe to it if they are big, healthy plants.
If you put them outdoors watch out for the birds or they will get them before you do - and the slugs.
Take precautions - beneath and above.
Hope you get some great strawberries.

 

If you peg down some of the runners into pots of compost they'll put out roots. Later in the season you can snip off the rooted runners and you'll then have some new plants you can use to increase your stock for next year.

 

Thanks all for advice, this year they are in a growbag in cold greenhouse so guess i am risking mediocre fruit.

Will peg down some of the runners.

Will stop deflowering it.

Have made a corner plot that this year is going to have my excess plum roma tomato's but thinking that next year it will be my strawberry patch as i don't mind the strawberries taking it over.