Strawberry recommendation

I'd like to have a go at growing strawberries. It will need to be in containers. I would like something easy to grow , that will fruit in it's first year and has a long fruiting season. I saw florence which looks good (actually it might have been called flamenco?) but not much was said about the flavour. I would welcome anyone's advice on which would be the best variety and growing tips

Many thanks

EGW x

 

Getting a long fruiting season from a single summer variety is difficult Ellie. Most will only crop for a bit over a month. If you want an extended season you would probably be best to plant up two containers - one with an early variety and one with a late season variety.
The range of varieties is vast and they all have advantages/disadvantages. Some are heavy croppers, some have good resistance to disease, some are great on taste, but disease prone or poor croppers.
I can't find a reference to 'Flamenco/Florence' so am unable to comment.
You'll be a bit late for a crop this year if you've not planted yet. And in theory you shouldn't allow the plants to crop in their first year (pinch out the flowers) as this helps develop better root systems.
Suggestions for varieties :
Honeoye - an early variety (early to late June) with good flavour and good resistance to botrytis.
Hapil later variety (mid June - mid July) good flavour, high yielding.
I've just started a new stawberry bed and palnted Elsanta but I'm taking a slight risk as the resistance to disease isn't good. The 'spare' plants I had I've planted into containers in a polytunnel and the flowers on these opened this week!

 

that sounds like brilliant advice Dave. okay so I get some plants now, put them in suitable containers, pinch out the flowers then wait for crops next year?

Any tips on compost and feed?

Many thanks Ellie x

 

Compost - strawberries like slightly acidic soil so I'd suggest a mix of John Innes 3 with some peat based grow bag compost. What I've done for our containers is to mix some compost from our worm bins with grow bag compost.
As for feeding I'd suggest a good balanced fertiliser like Growmore mixed in before planting and then just use something like a tomato fertiler or Phostrogen when the flowers have set.
As far as regards pinching out flowers and not getting a crop in the first year, you could try letting one plant set fruit!

 

brilliant thanks Dave - I'll order my plants now!

 

Ellie, I`m not 100% percent certain, but I believe Flamenco is a perpetual fruiting strawberry. That is, it continually flowers and fruits all through the year. Try Googling it, or perpetual strawberry, and see what comes up.

 

EGW,

If you want Straws that will give you fruit this year, buy specially prepared plants.

They fruit in about 60 days from planting, and will be delivered soon,but are more expensive than normal rooted runners,which will probabily not be delivered until this autumn and fruit next year!

Good eating!

 

Hi, sorry to jump in someone else's thread, but I'd also like some strawberries which will fruit this year. Can someone tell me where I can buy the 'specially prepared plants' that will do that? I am not fussy about variety etc, just want to have a go at some that are going to reward me with something this summer. If anyone can point me in the direction of a website to order from, that would be MUCH appreciated!

 

Rosie, I`ve never heard of strawberries being treated to fruit early. The plants you get from the garden centre shoudl produce some fruit this year, with a bigger yield next year and the year after.