[loobs61]

Hi Has anyone else had a problem with their strawberrys this year ? We had loads of flowers earlier this year and I was looking forward to a bumper harvest, but all the strawberrys have now gone. At first I thought slugs or squirrels, but as they are netted and caged  that counts out squirrels, on looking closly for slugs Ive noticed that although there were a few all the unripe strawberrys seem to have just fallen off of the plants and are laying on the floor bewteen the plants, just leaving the bare stalks on show. Do you all think that they are a victim of the cold weather this year, am I the only one with this problem.? All the plants look very healthy.     

[Kajazy]

I had a problem with waterlogging after all the rain - the strawberries didn't seem to like it - some of them got leather rot, and some, like yours, just dropped off (in disgust at the weather - small blame to them!)

[savbo]

ours suffered badly from slugs to start with, but now are producing loads - weather up here must suit them better

[aelf]

sorry to rub salt into your wounds loobs61, but I am having the best crop ever this year! How old are your plants? they tend only to crop well for 3-4 years.

[ranat22]

same here 
a few short weeks ago my strawberry plants were a lovely healthy green,with an abundence of flowers........................now the plants have started to go yellow,with a purple/brown spot on them...and my strawberrys are little with black hairs on them..............rain/blight...maybe?

[Stevens706]

I've noticed that they don't taste as sweet this year, lack of sun I suppose

[Paul Plots]

Too much wet and cold as well as lack of sun hasn't helped in some areas.

It's been pretty good here on the whole. I've had a huge crop despite many developing grey mold ("Botrytis cinerea" I think).

It can be responsible for fruit drop too or so this article from the US seems to say: strawberries

[andtiggertoo]

My strawberries have looked fabulous but not had chance to eat them myself as the slugs and birds must have devoured several pounds before I could get to them 

I really must get netting or caging set up.

[gremlin]

Disaster here too.   Last year was fantastic.  This year the early and mid-season have only produced berries which have rotted.  The late season plants may just produce one or two berries.

[azubah]

For years I have had the problem of finding white strawberries on the ground if the plants are not netted. I put it down to pigeons, but might be wrong. Could pigeons get through your netting?

[Stratts]

I've been really jarred about mine too as I was looking forward to my 1st home growns!

Loads of green ones, they go partly ripe then next day they are just mushy and rotten.

We have free draining ground and I've put straw down, slug pellets, netted over and sprayed with bug stuff.  Still no good!!

Any ideas??

[JayG]

With record rainfall in both May and June it's possible that the straw will be so soggy it's more hindrance than help - you seem to have done everything else you can so I'd remove the straw and try another method of keeping them off the wet soil (weed barrier matting, old CD's, anything!)

[aelf]

I'm growing mine on a home-made living wall, which means that they are not in the soggy ground and the fruits are hanging free of the soil. I guess that has helped this year?

Might be interesting to do a poll, ground-grown versus pot grown to see if there is any difference in fruit production this year?

[Diddy Gardener]

Lots of flowers, a few white fruit... apart from that - nothing. I blame the weather 

[Kirpi]

Lots of rotting fruit due to the grey weather, which then get eaten by slugs.

The only good ones have been those where the fruits are higher up on the plant.

Next year, my strawberries are going to be grown in tubs with fruits hanging over the sides and the strawberry bed is getting a good dollop of manure and my tub grown blackberry is going in that bed instead.