[sclarke624]

I bought and planted some Elsanta strawberries from B&Q about 3 weeks ago, and would you believe, I looked today and they are flowering already.  Or is that normal.  They are supposed to be mid- summer strawberries.

Sheila

[ziggywigs]

My Pegasus strawbs  are just starting to put out new leaves but no sign of flowers yet.  Mine don't usually flower until May and set fruit in June.

[crowndale]

I bought some strawbs from b&Q last year, ealry may, already in flower.  They were producing strawbs until october but it was frustrating because I never got more than 4 or 5 at a time which is not enough for a family of four to have a desert each!  I composted them this year and planted different ones which I hope will be more reliable at producing fruit more consistently, but not from b&q this time.  It's been really warm this april, maybe they have been fooled into thinking summer has come early?!

[Sheena]

My strawberries are flowering aswell, I have a few varieties there but I 'm not sure which ones are in flower though

[Heather_S]

Mine Cambridge Variety (i think. It's not the Cambridge Early or whatever the really common supermarket kind is) and it's flowering too. I'm sure this is way earlier than previous years.

You shouldn't have thrown out those strawberry plants!! Strawberry plants don't really start producing fruit until they're into their second year - first year crops are always scanty at best.

[crowndale]

I didn't really think much to the strawberries they produced, not just the numbers, though last year I didn't realise they do better in the second year, but they weren't overly sweet either and I like mine sweet!  Anyway, you live and learn.

 I didn't know about carrot fly last year either but this year I do, so hopefully I will get better carrots too!  Infact I think everything that I have planted, apart from the garlic and onions, I have learnt how to do it better for this year's crops from this site, I was bit late to use the new info about garlic etc but come autumn they'll be going in instead of at the beginning of the warmest april for decades, well except those I spent in Hong Kong but i wasn't planting garlic then!)  

[slow_worm]

My Cambridge Favourite and Pegasus are also in flower too!!

[CJ]

I have Elsanta flowering as well (bought from Homebase).  I have been using a paintbrush to polinate the flowers, as Alan Titchmarsh recommended this is done daily, but I am not sure why.  I assumed the bees would do this for me :?:

[loubylou29]

oops, mine are in their second year (Elsanta) and have been flowering madly, I thought it is waaay too early and have been pinching the flowers off, but maybe I should have left them!! I hope it doesn't damage the crop too much! :oops:

[Eddie Spud]

I have HONEOYE (an early ripening type) and SYMPHONY (a late ripener) Strawberries, both bought from Homebase a couple of weeks ago. I have them all in hanging baskets.
The Honeoye are flowering   although I fear a bit on the small side. Maybe they will pick up if the weather remains favourable. The Symphony are not yet flowering but are looking quite healthy...at the moment  :o

[apywell]

My new strawberries are flowering too.  

I have been told not to pick the fruit this year but wait till next.  Why is this?  Or have I been miss informed?