[ex-cavator]

Just rescued a load of strawberry plants from my jungle of a lotty prior to rotavating. Question is - what do I do with them. I was thinking, pot them up maybe 2 or 3 to a 6" pot in general purpose compost & just keep them under cover for the winter ready to plant out again in the Spring? Would this be OK or should I do something different? Any ideas appreciated

[DD.]

That should be OK, but you really don't need to keep them under cover. They are very hardy.

I take it they were from runners, as established plants don't like being moved.

[Christine]

I'd plant them in single pots to save sorting out roots in the spring.

Another idea though. If you can get an area of your allotment clear pretty soon (next week or two) and work in plenty of compost/well rotted manure or fertiliser such as bone meal which is good for root growth you could get them away this end of winter. This would allow them to be ready on site for spring when you will need to feed them generously with a general fertiliser.

[MoreWhisky]

Ive just completed what Christine recommends, well worth putting them in where they going to end up now if you can.

[DD.]

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

I've got 75 sitting in individual pots until spring when I can decide where they are going to go.

[Jay The Digger]

I'd try and get them in now.  The more time they have to establish themselves before winter, the better your crop next year.

[DD.]

Horses for courses and more than one way to skin a cat and all that.

There will be failures, both with mine and direct planted one, I don't expect to have 75 plants come spring, but the ones I put in will have a good root ball and I expect few failures thereon in.

[Alec_Macpherson]

I don't have any, but rescued a dozen or so from a skip so will be laying them shortly.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Speaking of that, I was digging over the patch today when a curious catling approached and then snugged up, drooling as I tickled behind his ears.  He was so delightful that I didn't mind as he took a dodo amongst the leeks.

[ex-cavator]

Many thanks for all your ideas - I think I like the 'get them back in now & give them a chance to get re-established before winter' approach. I've got a couple of beds pretty much freed up. And hopefully if they're not vying for space between all the annual grasses / weeds, I'll get a reasonable amount of fruit next year - and perhaps a bit larger as well