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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 14, 2008 9:23:41 GMT
Not at all Barbara, I was led astray long ago. ;D It's interesting to see how everybody has their own way of doing things I think. I have heard that the plants themselves don't last long and that's why you have to plant up the runners. If I had runners this year I missed them but hopefully will get some next year.
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Post by jean on Nov 15, 2008 21:44:55 GMT
Lol LNG, we all do thing differently and so we should Strawberries are heavy feeders, so if you want to keep your plants in the same place you would probably need to add plenty of nutrients so the soil didn't get exhausted. The plants themselves run out of steam ater a few years so taking runners and potting them on keeps a constant supply of plants There are so many different varities to choose from too
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 4, 2009 10:59:35 GMT
I wonder if I could dig up my strawberries so I can put down some ground cover sheets to stop weeds etc and protect the plants from rotting on the soil.? Would now be a crazy time to do it? The ground is'nt frozen or anything and they'll soon be starting to produce new growth I guess. What do you think.
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Post by nightowl on Jan 19, 2009 9:24:03 GMT
I don't often post on the fruit and veg threads, but have to tell you about the amazing strawberry plants I bought last spring! They are called AROMEL. I planted them in a long wall basket and they did very well. Nice tasty fruit, not a bad size, no mildew, coped well when I forgot to water them, and fruited all summer and well into the autumn Then the weather got cold and I lost interest in the garden. I finally got round to sorting out the mess of dead leaves and foliage that was my strawberry trough yesterday I was amazed to find, when I'd cleared around them that despite not being in the best spot to get the rain, they were healthy, had new growth, were covered in FLOWER BUDS , and were still supporting live runners!! And still no mildew! ;D I've finally pegged the runners down - want more of a plant like that!!
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Post by Ladygardener on Jan 21, 2009 9:09:09 GMT
They do sound like a good find Nightowl. Don't forget to give them a good feed to encourage them this coming season. With a bit of luck you'll get even more fruit this year if your runners do well for you.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2009 20:45:10 GMT
Ive just bought a packet of Alpine strawberry Mignonette seeds if anybody wants a few seeds Feel free to PM me
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 3, 2009 12:21:47 GMT
I have just started thinking about growing strawberries. There is an offer in this month's GW for Elvira and Mara de Bois plants. I then started looking on the web and there are lots of different sorts of strawberry plants, each one as good or better than another depending on where you read. Has anyone got a type of strawberry they recommend?
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 3, 2009 20:18:06 GMT
I wonder how long they take to grow from seed Steve? will you have fruit this year? Jasmine I only grew them for the 1st time last year ( Loron were the variety) and they were sweet and delicious. I hope to get a lot more fruit from them this year as I picked off the fruit at flower stage to strenthen the plant as recomended.
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Post by Missredhead on Feb 4, 2009 13:53:35 GMT
I love strawberries and reading this I'm very tempted to try to grow them...... but.........I would have to do them in a hanging basket as I have no windowsills to put a trough on.. Now...do they have to have a lot of sun? When would be the best time to plant them? I would probably start with plants from the GH...how many would I need for a 10ins basket? I was thinking that if I didn't use a hanging basket I could get one of those strawberry pot things. You say that the birds eat them but what about the squirrels?
Sorry for being a numpty but I really like the idea of growing some.
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 4, 2009 14:53:41 GMT
Good for you MRH it's good to try. Now I'd thinkthat like most fruit they like as much sun as they can get. I grew some of mine in a box on the windowledge last year and had about 3 in it. Baskets would actually be a good container for them, they like to hang their heads over the edges, keeps them off the soil so stops them from brusing and rottting. I don't think squirrels eat them. You're far from being a numpty, maybe someone else can give you more advice good luck.
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 4, 2009 19:18:32 GMT
I wonder how long they take to grow from seed Steve? will you have fruit this year? Jasmine I only grew them for the 1st time last year ( Loron were the variety) and they were sweet and delicious. I hope to get a lot more fruit from them this year as I picked off the fruit at flower stage to strenthen the plant as recomended. Thank you LNG. I did a bit of research yesterday on the Ken Muir site and had a list of very good/excellent flavour with good disease resistance and OH has been working at the computer today and my list has gone. I'm just a bit put off because years ago when I last grew strawberries a frog got caught up in the netting and OH had to come to the rescue with sharp scissors - poor little frog - it was traumatised.
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Post by Missredhead on Feb 4, 2009 19:21:37 GMT
I might buy one of those strawberry containers then and put it in the front garden....hope they don't get nicked though....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2009 19:31:43 GMT
Like most things gardening i have no idea LNG ;D but im sure i will find out come summertime I wonder how long they take to grow from seed Steve? will you have fruit this year? Jasmine I only grew them for the 1st time last year ( Loron were the variety) and they were sweet and delicious. I hope to get a lot more fruit from them this year as I picked off the fruit at flower stage to strenthen the plant as recomended.
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Post by Barbara on Feb 4, 2009 20:35:11 GMT
I might buy one of those strawberry containers then and put it in the front garden....hope they don't get nicked though.... I have one of those missy, I get quite a good few from it. Squirrels eat the green ones in my garden I haven't ever seen them take red ones.. My neighbour grows them in a hanging basket about six plants to a basket I think. they always look good enough to eat.
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Post by nightowl on Feb 5, 2009 7:59:46 GMT
I have just started thinking about growing strawberries. There is an offer in this month's GW for Elvira and Mara de Bois plants. I then started looking on the web and there are lots of different sorts of strawberry plants, each one as good or better than another depending on where you read. Has anyone got a type of strawberry they recommend? Hi Jas. I can recommend AROMEL, as described 3 posts up from your one. Very trouble free Re strawberry containers. I had one once, and the weight of it made it very hard to move, and you have to keep turning them round or the plants on one side don't get any sun I also found that the strawbs didn't really do that well in it. Hard to get enough water to the roots
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 5, 2009 18:50:06 GMT
Thanks for the suggestion NO. I was going to order some plants on line but have decided to wait and see what the GC gets in - it probably won't be such a good choice but they must have one of the ones you and LNG recommended.
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Post by Mowhay on Feb 12, 2009 12:33:52 GMT
Hi everyone, first post on this site. I grow my strawberries in tall pots which keep the fruit off the ground, bought two plants from the GC (cannot remember the type) about three years ago and now have fourteen from their runners. Just to warn you last year a blackbird nesting in my garden was pinching the ripe ones, even out of the greenhouse.
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Post by Spruance on Feb 12, 2009 12:44:44 GMT
Welcome to GWD Mowhay. For just a few plants I think the best defence against cheeky blackbirds is to save your old jam jars and place the ripening fruits inside (still on the plant that is) then even the most determined blackbird can't reach them.
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Post by Mowhay on Feb 12, 2009 12:46:51 GMT
Thanks Spruance, I used netting over the open greenhouse door and "tickled" the flowers with a soft paintbrush, my three year old granddaughter was delighted with a very good crop which she decided were "lubbily".
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Post by Spruance on Feb 12, 2009 12:58:55 GMT
As far as the GH goes we have an old beaded door curtain hung across the doorway mainly to deter young birds, and rigid plastic clematis support mesh (with the small holes) stapled across the ground level vents. It mostly works but they do still sometimes go in via the roof vents too.
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Post by nightowl on Feb 13, 2009 8:21:59 GMT
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 17, 2009 18:03:47 GMT
I had a look at my troughs and pots of last years strawbs today and remembered seeing a Tip of The Day was to cover them with a cloche to bring them on, I'm going to try and find a bit of room in the GH if I can to bring mine on a bit.
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Post by jean on Feb 25, 2009 20:26:54 GMT
I thought that I'd try some from seed and see what happens they are called Ruby and are a standard sized fruit. They have germinated but I think it will a very long time until I see any fruit In the meantime I've got some runners I was given last autumn potted up in the GH.
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 8, 2009 14:36:57 GMT
I bought 8 tiny plug plants yesterday - they are strawberry temptation. Don't know if they will have any fruit this year - they are about the size of a 10p. They are potted on now and in the mini greenhouse.
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Post by Ladygardener on Mar 10, 2009 18:01:52 GMT
Good for you Jasmine, it's great to grow your own strawberries, although last year mine were eaten before they got to the kitchen for some cream. ;D They should fruit this year but you'll most likely be advised to pick the flowers off before they set fruit to strenthen the plants. I did this with some of mine and allowed others to make tasty fruit for me. It'll be up to you what you decide to do but I could'nt wait another year before trying my own. They were yummy.
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 10, 2009 19:29:24 GMT
Good for you Jasmine, it's great to grow your own strawberries, although last year mine were eaten before they got to the kitchen for some cream. ;D They should fruit this year but you'll most likely be advised to pick the flowers off before they set fruit to strenthen the plants. I did this with some of mine and allowed others to make tasty fruit for me. It'll be up to you what you decide to do but I could'nt wait another year before trying my own. They were yummy. How did that eating before they got to the kitchen happen LG? i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif I have read about cutting of this year's flowers now you mention it - it will make them stronger plants I guess but like you say it does mean waiting til next year for some home grown strawberries. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif
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Post by Missredhead on Mar 11, 2009 13:51:07 GMT
I got a phone call today to say that I have been successful in getting some strawberry runners for nothing on freecycle, am picking them up tomorrow morning. Shhhhh.....what do I do with them?
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 15, 2009 18:26:51 GMT
How did you get on with your runners MRH? My strawberries are growing slowly.
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Post by Missredhead on Mar 15, 2009 18:31:58 GMT
I planted 3 in a hanging basket and 3 in an oval planter.....did them today, so will see how they do.
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Post by Jasmine on Mar 15, 2009 18:59:25 GMT
The hanging basket idea is a good one MRH - was that your bargain basket from Homebase? In the summer you could just pick them off as you walk past! Yum!
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