[Blackpool rocket]

I know this is going to be a difficult one because there are so many.
I bought some from Lidl, 3 x 6 plants in modules about 3 years ago. I don't recall the variety. The "crop" was sparse, and that's praise!

The plants are healthy enough but I think I planted them too close together. I thinned them out last year in the hope that the "crop" would improve, it did, but not to any great degree. They had straw and chicken pellet feed.
This year they had straw, feed and netting. The "crop" was as disappointing as previous years.

I read on here of peoples great success with strawberries and how they manage to cope with such a glut. If only!
I'm not looking for a show winning fruit, I just want some strawberries. I want to be able to go out and pick a bowl full, throw some cream at them and say "we grew these, aren't they great!" and I want to be able to do that more than once!
I'm not expecting miracles, I just want some STRAWBERRIES!! 
Any pointers would be appreciated.

A socially distant hug to all you lovely people. Br. 

[New shoot]

I've grown Marshmello for quite a few years now.  They are big strawberries with the most amazing flavour.  Mine are in raised beds, which get an annual top dress of bagged manure, then pelleted chicken manure a couple of times a year.

I can't say I do anything else special, but I do usually put a few runners in a big pot or builders bucket each year for an early greenhouse crop.  They get even bigger and better as they are pampered a bit more 

[hasbeans]

The blackbirds, slugs, woodlice and I can all recommend Mara des Bois.  The dog likes the crowns too (or just likes watching me growl and shake a fist at him when he's running around the garden with one!)

I barely feed them, just repot every few years  and keep the crowns clear of debris (dead leaves and stuff) and keep them off the ground.  I find strawberries not worth growing in the ground as the critters have a piece of all the fruit.

[Nobbie]

I bought 4 trays of the Lidl strawberries 3 or 4 years ago and got 2 trays of Elsanta and a tray each of other varieties. Planted in rows 2 foot apart and 18” apart in rows they grew well. The Elsanta have given great crops of fruit, but the other two have been disappointing. Maybe you got one of the duff varieties?

I’ve just dug up all but 6 of the Elasanta to tide me over while some new plants get established. Hoping the Elsanta throw out some runners to save me buying new plants. I’ve always found Honoye a very reliable variety, although It is fairly old and has probably been superceeded by something better by now. They definitely require good spacing and straw under them as they are massively prolific at throwing out runners

Just had a quick search and looks like GW backs up my suggestions and has a few other to consider.

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-strawberries/

[icbradley]

Apologies if this is a thread hijack but does anyone (i.e. DD) still rate Irresistable from T&M?  I have tried Red Gauntlet, an old variety with a reasonable yield in semi shade.  As I say an old one so it must have been superseded by now as they always appear to have little taste to me.