[Ralphy]

this is my first proper year with strawbs, i got 12 dormant runners of the Florence variety last spring, deblossomed them, to develop the crowns and then  trained the runners in the summer and now i've got about 30 lovely looking plants that are just setting fruit, every now and again i've been giving them a very dilute feed with tomato fertilizer, but i honestly don't know how much or how often to feed them, any advice would be greatly appreciated!! 

[Trillium]

Strawbs should not be fed before the harvest is finished. Otherwise, it makes the fruit soft and watery, and prone to mold. After the harvest is finished, trim off all the old larger leaves, and feed with either a fertilizer or manure.

[fatcat1955]

A friend of mine grow's Strawbs commercially and his watering system automatically doses the feed with every watering session which is 3 times a day.

[DD.]

If you Google "Feeding Strawberries", it appers the jury's out on this.

There are some interesting images though!

[JayG]

If you Google "Feeding Strawberries", it appers the jury's out on this.

There are some interesting images though!

  

I think the jury's out on just about every single aspect of strawberry growing; productive lifespan, to allow (or not) to fruit in first year, how many runners (if any) to allow (and when), whether rotation is required to prevent disease build up, and of course feeding ALL seem to attract completely opposing opinions and advice if you have a browse around on the web!   

Nothing grows well on my sandy soil without additional feeding so that decision is made for me, but I couldn't advise about either that or any other aspect of strawberry growing to anyone else with much confidence at all. 

[fatcat1955]

3 plants to a grow bag watered with feed 3 times a day, all runners cut off, the whole lot thrown away after 3 years. It is cheaper (10p a plant) for him to buy new rather than propagate. Best tasting strawberries i have had . Raspberries grown in 10in pots, same watering regime all runners pulled out, i havn't tasted any yet but can't wait.

[Vit]

So... to feed or not to feed?  I have some strawberry as well, but i will not go to feed them until autumn(i fertilized soil before planting). Is that correct? Just i am not very good with berries 

JayG, i envy you. Honestly. I have too much clay 

[Ralphy]

thanks for the help, folks. everything i've googled seems fairly contradictory, the most common answer seems to be to feed sparingly after the fruit starts setting, and after picking, but not before flowering as the strawbs get too happy and just put on foliage. although theres tons of contrary opinions as well. i guess all i can take from this is that they're fairly tolerant no matter what you do!

[Nige2Plots]

I use Fish, Blood and Bone as it is a slow release fertilizer over a period of time.

[digalotty]

my neighbour uses bfb in early spring and her strawberry's are twice the size of mine

[Kajazy]

If they're in a container rather than the ground, I'm assuming they'll need feeding though...?

[Nige2Plots]

If they're in a container rather than the ground, I'm assuming they'll need feeding though...?

I have some in the ground and in containers, I feed both in the same way!

[Ralphy]

mine are in two big containers and another 6 in pots, i love strawberrys! and the shop-bought ones are invariably bland and cardboardy. now after a dull punnet of blueberrys i'm going to have to try growing them too!

[ember]

If you Google "Feeding Strawberries", it appers the jury's out on this.

I have a raised bed on the plot where the strawbs have been fed, with a solid feed per plant (there meant for pot plant but well they were free ) and are regularly watered. In the back yard I have a plantpot tower of strawberries which has water flung at it occassionaly in passing. 

The ones at the ploat are coming along very slowly but the ones in the yard are doing wonderfully  I reckon that's coz it's more sheltered there 

M