[suziequeue]

I propagated a lot of strawberry suckers last year from a small plot. The plan was always the plant them out in our allotment at some point but that point doesn't seem to have materialised so they have sat in the polytunnel over winter

The soil has been so wet and it is quite heavy here so we haven't ventured onto the allotment yet but I am itching to plant them out.

Am I too late to do this?

[HesterF]

Wouldn't have thought so. I guess they've been growing away happily and certainly you can plant strawberry plants and get fruit from them in the same year - mine went in in May/June last year and that wasn't too late for fruit.

H

[supplies for smallholders]

Strawberries can basically be planted anytime as long as the ground is not frozen solid.

Normally two planting periods - Autumn for overwintering outside and spring once the worst of the frosts have passed.

One point worth noting, is that if you want a good crop of fruit then you must remove all runners as they appear.

If you want some interesting bedtime reading on commercial strawberry growing then take a look at the three guides on our site - in the "Information" box on the left of the page about half way down.

Thanks

[suziequeue]

Mmmm - the logic of cutting the runners to get a good crop is irrefutable but then how do I get plants for next year?


 Is it better to "sacrifice" a few plants to produce runners at the expense of fruit? Or limit runners to - say - one per plant so that I get some runners and some fruit??

[Clarebelle]

thats what i do with my alpine strawberries, have one or two for runners and the rest for fruit

[suziequeue]

I found this very good website:

http://strawberryplants.org/2010/05/growing-strawberries

Sorry SfS - tried to open your website but it wouldn't open.

I think I'm getting there with the strawberries but it's taken me three years to learn how to grow cucumbers - so I'm expecting a similar timeframe for other things :-)

[Clarebelle]

It took me three years with cucumbers too!! xD Last year had a fab crop (considering I only have a little two tiered mini greenhouse!)

[supplies for smallholders]

Sorry SfS - tried to open your website but it wouldn't open.

Just click our banner at the bottom of any TAS Page

[suziequeue]

Ah - it's worked this evening. Mmmm - very good comprehensive information.

My plants are in pots having been grown on from suckers last summer. Do I need to shake all the soil off the roots and replant them in their final destinations bare rooted? Or shall I just plant them in the soil as they are? I am inclined to just plant them as they are so that I don't run the risk of planting the crowns too high or too low.... Or am I being too pedantic?

Also - because our soil is heavy clay, we are going to dig holes 6" wide by 20" deep with a motorised auger and then back fill that with imported top soil (we have tested it and it is fine). Is there anything that I should mix with the top soil for best results? We've got some wood ash but surprisingly little as our new house is much better insulated than the old one and we don't get through nearly as much wood!

I want to do things right as these strawberries started off as a gift from a colleague at work so they have sentimental value (only a smallholder would get sentimental over a few strawberry plants!!  )

[supplies for smallholders]

Crown height is an important factor and can impact on fruit production by some 10 - 15%.

Plant them in the soil from the pots without disturbing the roots too much if you can.

Cant comment on the soil - commercial strawberry bags are usually 100% peat or a peat compost mixture

[deepinthewoods]

why not leave them in the poly? you should gain a few weeks on the season.