Author Topic: Strawberry Question (Read 4165 times)

sellickbhoy · « **on:** May 06, 2009, 10:36:01 am »

Morning all

wee question on strawberries.

last year, i did my strawbs in raised beds, i got a good harvest, but lost more due to the rain/mildew - despite my best efforts of mulching with straw and covering with a cloche.

So, this autumn, i dug them all up and stuck them into large pots which i left out over winter

come spring, i moved them into the plastic greenhouse, they did their thing and are looking good and healthy, however, the "crown" of the plants is now pretty big, almost the size of the pot.

So, should i repot into a bigger pot? or can i split the crown in 2/3 smaller crowns?

if i can split is, should i wait to autumn when plant goes dormant? (that would mean sticking them into a bigger pot for the summer)

this is just their second season, so i am expecitng a good crop this year and next year and then i'll think about replacing them altogether.

cheers

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2009, 10:58:40 am »

Hi SB,
I split and repotted my strawberries a few weeks ago (they were starting to spring into life, but hadn't really got going) and they've been doing great since.
I'm not sure if it's too far into the season now, but if I was you I'd maybe take the risk of splitting one and repot the rest and see how it goes - but I'm not by any means an expert.

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2009, 11:32:43 am »

any hints/tips on how to split?

they are going well now - due to being in the plastic greenhouse - so i will wait until autumn to split. there are only 4 of them that need repotting right now, so not a hardship.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2009, 12:31:48 pm »

Look for the base of the plants and split there. I just went in with my hands and pulled them apart - it was quite easy to tell where to split once I had them out the pot, always feels brutal but they don't seem to mind.
The other thing you can do this year is root up any off shoots from the main plant - this is more effective than taking cuttings. You just wait for a shoot to get long enough and place a small pot under it and peg it down into the soil and hey presto (allegedly) it roots and can then be cut from the main plant.
http://www.allaboutstuff.com/garden_tips/Strawberry_Propagation_and_Renewal.asp More info here.
Hope this helps

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2009, 12:41:22 pm »

thanks

yeah, i potted up runners last year, that's simple enough

sounds like splitting it isn't a big deal either, so will worry about that later in the year

thanks

carl · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2009, 04:11:14 pm »

I have a strwberry patch which shows great promise each year but gives little due to slugs, snails and rot. this yeat I have dug them all up . I split them all up and replanted most back into a refreshed plot, covered in barrier material. the rest i have potted in the green house, with little berries already on them. with a bit of luck we shall have fruit from a feww weeks time right through to mid summer.