[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning everyone,   Will we see any benifit next year if we cloche the strawberry bed over the winter?

Can anyone recommend a pair of socks and/or shoes that actually keep your feet warm?  Due to bad circulation my toes are freezing most of the time.  I have what Billy Connoly calls "The big slipper" reinforced with bubble wrap and shiny crisp packets and with a hot water bottle I get a little relief.  I have been prescribed a pair of compression stockings but the benifit is minimal (and they itch)!

Cheers,  Tony

[snowdrops]

Cloche- no, strawberries need the cold, you could cover some in February to bring them on early. I plant some in hanging baskets & bring in to tge greenhouse/poly tunnel in February for early strawberries.

[snowdrops]

Sorry can’t help with cold toes except I added a furry insole to my wellies last year & that made a lot of difference.

[Kleftiwallah]

Many thanks for those comments snowdrops.  (Not ex RAF police by any chance)?

Cheers,  Tony.

[snowdrops]

Many thanks for those comments snowdrops.  (Not ex RAF police by any chance)?

Cheers,  Tony.

No definitely not

[Subversive_plot]

Regarding your feet:

• really high quality insulated boots that fit properly (look for boots sold for hunting).  You probably don't need to go full "Baffin Impact Snow Boot", rated to -100 C, but something much less expensive but well made should do.
• get high quality socks to go with the boots (stores that sell hunting boots usually have excellent socks to go with them).
• as long as the socks are not made of something that shrinks in the dryer, try tossing the socks in the dryer for a few minutes before putting your socks and boots on.

[rowlandwells]

that's interesting to note about no cloche needed as we always leave our strawberry bed open and haven't had any probs and that's interesting to put strawberries in hanging baskets in the poly tunnel must try that and we always put our strawberry plants in breathable membrane to keep the weed at bay and it seems to keep the clean for picking

[snowdrops]

that's interesting to note about no cloche needed as we always leave our strawberry bed open and haven't had any probs and that's interesting to put strawberries in hanging baskets in the poly tunnel must try that and we always put our strawberry plants in breathable membrane to keep the weed at bay and it seems to keep the clean for picking

Worked really well for me this year in the tunnel, so much so I’m moving more into hanging baskets to go in my new super homemade fruit cage, that’ll keep ‘em clean & should be easier to pick as I’ll just open the door, no fighting with netting & grovelling on the floor. Not sure how often I’ll have to replace them though as I think strawberry farms replace every year when they are tabletop ones in grow bags, but if I feed well they should be ok for a year or two I’d have thought?