Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: toxorebel on November 20, 2010, 07:46

Title: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: toxorebel on November 20, 2010, 07:46
Hi all,

My strawberry plants have lots of yellow/brown dead looking leaves, but they also have lots of green new growth too.  I was just wondering if I should cut off the dead leaves now or wait until spring when the plants are active and may recover better?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: viettaclark on November 20, 2010, 07:51
I cut off all my dying leaves. It prevents infections and pest problems, lets air to the base and spurs on the plant to produce new growth.
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: SUTTY1 on November 20, 2010, 21:59
I get shut of the dead leaves too. Any green growth on there will soon be dead.

When they start to grow again next year givethem a feed with tomato feed or comfrey/nettle tea and away they'll grow :)
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Babstreefern on November 21, 2010, 12:18
As do I.  I get rid of all my dead leaves (I must apologise at this stage, I have a very large Mainecoon at on my lap as I'm trying to type, and if any of you know anything about cats, they always want to lie in the most awkward places, eg, in the middle of the page of a newspaper at exactly the spot you are reading :D).  Anyway, yes, I get rid of all the dead leaves and clean up the undergrowth as well, as Viettaclark says :D
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: mikem on November 21, 2010, 16:20
I agree although I cut off all leaves in September/October, the new growth comes through very quickly.  In this way I can really clean up the patch including the slugs that I find!!!!  I feed it well afterwards and again in the spring.  In your current situation I would certainly cut back any old leaves now.
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Remy on November 21, 2010, 20:13
I just planted my strawberries, is it right to mulch then with straw for the winter?

Remy
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: mikem on November 21, 2010, 20:46
I just planted my strawberries, is it right to mulch then with straw for the winter?

Remy

I wouldn't as it is likely to encourage mildew and/or slugs etc.  I only use straw to keep the strawberries off the ground in the summer.
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: viettaclark on November 22, 2010, 19:42
They don't need mulching and straw down over the Winter does encourage nasties.
Whoops!!! Just realised I've left the straw from fruiting on the bed! Tidy up time...... ::)
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Babstreefern on November 22, 2010, 22:24
This year, I've dug out the old strawberries, and got some runners and planted up new ones.  What I did, was put down weed suppresent membrane, and then cut holes in it for each plant - I won't need straw next year :D
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: JayG on November 23, 2010, 09:30
This year, I've dug out the old strawberries, and got some runners and planted up new ones.  What I did, was put down weed suppresent membrane, and then cut holes in it for each plant - I won't need straw next year :D

I'm an "accidental" strawberry grower (OK, it was me that bought the one Albion plant from a market last year!) but I now have about 20 new plants in a bed for next year.

I'm thinking of going down the weed suppressing membrane route myself but have never used it before.

Are there any disadvantages and are there types to avoid (e.g. is cheap stuff from the likes of Wilkos rubbish?!)  :unsure:
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: crh75 on November 23, 2010, 16:15
I've not used weed membrain for strawberries but I have used it for onions.  I found the thinner stuff totally disintergrated at the end of the second year.  If I was going to use it for my strawberries I would want to use better quality thicker membrain that would last the life of the plants (3-5 years).
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Babstreefern on November 24, 2010, 22:34
What I did when renewing the strawbs, after potting up loads of runners, I pulled out the old plants, completely dug over the soil, at the same time putting in loads of good black compost, raking it fine, putting in a quantity of slug pellets, then covering it over with membrane, making holes and putting in my plants :D
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: noshed on November 25, 2010, 12:28
Slugs are a problem with the membrane, so bunging some pellets underneath is a must.
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Goosegirl on November 25, 2010, 16:26
As do I.  I get rid of all my dead leaves (I must apologise at this stage, I have a very large Mainecoon at on my lap as I'm trying to type, and if any of you know anything about cats, they always want to lie in the most awkward places, eg, in the middle of the page of a newspaper at exactly the spot you are reading :D).  Anyway, yes, I get rid of all the dead leaves and clean up the undergrowth as well, as Viettaclark says :D
I have two torties (as well as two other cats) and one, Daphne, does the same with me. She typed an O yesterday but now I am trying to get her to type a D for Daphne! Sorry Moderator - got carried away. I too strim or cut off all the old leaves to give the new ones a chance to develop and also to prevent fungal disease. Am now going to Google Mainecoon cats! :tongue2:
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Paul Plots on November 25, 2010, 16:39
So it's just me that doesn't cut off the old leaves...  ::)  I weeded and forked in the straw mulch that I put down in the spring (had a little tidy up of dead leaves) but mostly left them to get on with it..... naturally.

Worked the year before and the year before that. I have this strange idea that leaves left on the plants will give them something to keep the worst of the weather off.  :mellow:

New bed going in this spring - the old one has just one more year then....all the leaves come off!!!  :tongue2:
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: SUTTY1 on November 25, 2010, 22:35
I've got my stawbs growing thru' weedfabric and slugs love to over-winter there and lay their eegs there. I'm not a fan off slug pellets but set beer traps in spring, got over 100 slugs this year and little plant damage :D
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Paul Plots on November 25, 2010, 23:05
Drunken slugs?

I'm pretty keen on using straw... it gives the slugs something to munch on if they must and distracts them from my beer strawberries. It's hard work for a slug clambering over and through straw. The straw dries quickly after rain so reduces humidity around the plants and discourages slugs from enjoying a sauna... they are not so keen on a relatively dry environment where the sun can shine. The soil underneath can "breathe".

Straw also makes for a better (IMHO) resting place for the strawberries to ripen until I turn up and enjoy searching for them.  ;)

At the end of the season, when the straw begins to break down, it can be forked in and adds to the texture of the soil. 
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: SUTTY1 on November 25, 2010, 23:30
That all makes good sense learner!

I mainly use the fabric because i have quite rampant marestail and with the strawberries being in for 3/4 yrs, find it keeps it under control

As for the drunken slugs they get feed to the alcoholic chickens :) :)
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: Paul Plots on November 25, 2010, 23:32
That all makes good sense learner!

I mainly use the fabric because i have quite rampant marestail and with the strawberries being in for 3/4 yrs, find it keeps it under control

As for the drunken slugs they get feed to the alcoholic chickens :) :)

And your choice makes good sense to me too!  :)

(Lucky chickens!! - nice eggs I bet!)
Title: Re: Strawberry plants - dead leaves
Post by: SkipRat on December 06, 2010, 22:39
What I generally do is at the end of the growing season is to set light to the straw that has helped keep the strawbs of the ground, this kills any diseased,dead leaves etc. This dosn,t harm the main plant, and it will happily produce a crop the following season.