[Goosegirl]

I have used a raised bed for strawberries for a number of years except for about 3 years ago when I dug the old plants up and got some new ones which I planted in a spare place to get runners off for more plants. As the soil level in the bed had dropped, the year before last I got some good topsoil, dug it in and added compost and manure, then re-planted the bed with the previous year's plants. They looked ok but last year they didn't do very well so I got some new ones again to add to the ones I threw out and they seemed fine until this year. Most of them seem to have brown crispy leaves dying off at the bottom, some have a high crown that is dying off and some plants have totally died. I have never had a successful and productive strawberry bed so what am I doing wrong? The soil is heavy silt beneath and was double-dug quite a few years ago and the bed is raised up about 9" so drainage should be ok. They get fed in spring (though not this year as they look so bad it's not worth it). I believe you should change their plot every few years but I don't think strawberry field growers do that. They don't appear to have streaked leaves indicating a virus (except for one possibly) and there is the odd one looking ok and producing flowers.

[mikem]

Could it just be the lack of rainfall?

[waxwing]

Mine look not too good either, had a look into it but the only thing I think could be wrong was that it was such a hard winter, it effected them.
I've given mine a good weed, feed and water and seem to have a slight improvment.

Steve

[Goosegirl]

Both my nieghbours' plants are doing fine so it must be me going wrong somewhere.

[JayG]

Perhaps they're poorly because you haven't fed them (wouldn't take long to give them a liquid feed and it might make all the difference.)

[Trillium]

That's exactly my thought, Jay. Right after they fruit or the time for fruiting when you've just put in new plants is when all strawberries need to be feed. They're incredible nutrient gluttons (which is why they 'move' with runners) and need yearly replenishing. Side dress with compost and some manure. Since you won't crop this year, you can feed them now to help them recover.

And be regular with watering if you're not getting enough rain. This year's watering determines next year's cropping.

[Aunt Sally]

Strawberry plants only last very productively for about 4 years but it's a good idea to replace them from runners every 3 years into a different bed to avoid disease build up.

They need fertile well draining soil as Trillium and JayG says.  The soil should be enriched with well rotted manure and the plants fed with some fertiliser to produce a good crop.  Then go buy some cream

[viettaclark]

Clotted rather than Factor 30. Hang on....you need that one at the moment!!