[prakash_mib]

had a quick visit to plot recently and found all my strawbs are brown and looked dead cover. didnt manage to investigate futher. is this normal for this time of season or should I fear worse? 

[JayG]

It's normal for quite a lot of the old foliage to be dead at this time of year but there should be at least some sign of green in the crowns of the plants to show they are still alive.

Have a closer look before you start despairing! 

[Mrs Bee]

Mine are like that too!  I spent a jolly afternoon cutting all the dead stuff back and trimming to the green stuff. Looks Ok now.  I also found loads of runners from the strawberries so potted them on too.

I am fairly new to strawberry plants but I believe they are fairly hardy. Looking where the new plants have trailed too and are thriving I thnk they must be.

On a new strawberry note has anyone had any luck with strawberry bags?  I planted two out last year and had beggar all from them although they did take themselves on their travels to the soil next to the bags.

The others planted in the soil did OK apart from some botritis on the Garigette.

Think I planted too close together. World's worst at that!

[JayG]

On a new strawberry note has anyone had any luck with strawberry bags?  I planted two out last year and had beggar all from them although they did take themselves on their travels to the soil next to the bags.

On the basis that they work on the same principle as strawberry pots I'd say they're a pain in the butt! I found it hard to stop some plants getting too dry, some too wet, and all got infested with woodlice which obviously found the "pockets" irresistible and set up home in them (and guess what was the favourite item on their menu!) 

[trampyjoe]

On the plot I've just taken over there is a veritable sea of strawberries with islands of green in and lots of runners heading off on their travels in all directions. Getting in and cutting out the dead stuff is a job I'm saving for a warmer day.

In fact, here's a picture!



Last summer we had 2 of them strawberry planters and they were perfectly fine for the garden. Had a reasonable crop off them throughout the season .. got rid of them now we have the allotment though.

[mattwragg94]

mine went like that last year, so i presumed it was frost.

[Christine]

Wind is something else that strawberries seem to dislike.

I have a routine with strawberries. August they get the runners taken off. Last year but one I lifted the entire bed into pots and dug in decent compost to renovate the bed as I had no space anywhere else for them. I believe in adding bonemeal to encourage the roots over winter as well as removing dead growth on a regular basis.

I have just invested in a decent bag of compost from the garden centre and mulched the strawberry patch as it needed topping up. This has the added advantage of having some food in it which will get them started off for the season. When they start to flower I shall use tomato feed to help them to form fruit.

[Mrs Bee]

On a new strawberry note has anyone had any luck with strawberry bags?  I planted two out last year and had beggar all from them although they did take themselves on their travels to the soil next to the bags.

On the basis that they work on the same principle as strawberry pots I'd say they're a pain in the butt! I found it hard to stop some plants getting too dry, some too wet, and all got infested with woodlice which obviously found the "pockets" irresistible and set up home in them (and guess what was the favourite item on their menu!) 

Yep, I have come to the same conclusion and OH who is a whizz with DIY is making some raised strawberry tables and the plants from the bags are going in there.

Christine, I will try what you suggest. I am still learning with this GYO and this year it is the year of getting the strawberries and the brassicas right.
Cheers.