[gowing238]

Hey all.

Last 2 years i have dedicated a bed at the lotty to strawberrys. Have also always grown them in a few pots down the garden (usefull for the sons packed lunch!!!!) But my allotment crop has been so poor and what i have had has been so mouldy or slug damaged, im contemplating pulling them up and sticking with the garden pots.

Think im just loosing the will this season!!! All i had to eat from the allotment so far are a fewlettuce,few strawberrys and a few blueberries!!!

[peapod]

It seems to be a lot of problems with strawbs this year!

Slug damage - lift your plants away from the soil - I use straw and keep adding a few dry handfuls around the plants to minimise rot too.  It also helps your soil structure as it rots away or you can remove it at the end of the growing season. Of course it also helps to pick as soon as they are ripe and when its wet as this year ( here anyway!)

I struggle with blackbirds, so I also net them per bed simply with 3X lots of water pipe per bed and debris netting.

I think the key is to stop bruising as soon as possible, so you need a few tactics in place.

[gowing238]

thanks for the advice pea pod. I purchased a bale of straw this year and put them on both the strawberry and potato beds. But what with this crazy weather we have had it all got blown away, mostly into the neighbouring houses!!!!lol!!! Im just wondering if it would be more productive to grow something else in the strawberry bed an just buy my own from asda!!!?? At least they not rotten or got 50 slug pellets stuck to them!!!! ((My Bad!!!!) lol!!

[peapod]

Thats where the netting would help - twofold use!

They are quite hungry too, so I always feed a multi purp feed once a week. Got to say though, next year Im growing in hanging baskets on my plot shed with netting around them.  I can use the space more productively for my lot in the direct beds.