[Auntiemogs]

My strawberries arrived today (24 'Finesse' Everbearers from T & M). I was really looking forward to getting them  and have read a bit about them so I wondered if anyone would be good enough about my proposed plan. I have one of those plastic teracotta-coloured barrels I bought in a sale.

1. I was proposing to fill the barrel with a mix of sand, well-rotted manure and compost with added slow-release granules and some water-retaining crystals (my soil is alkaline clay) and fill the center drainage pipe with sand.

2. I wanted to pop in a few of my existing runners from this year but I fear that they have recently become infested with leaf miners  so am I better off a)binning them and disinfecting the containers; or b) moving them far away and picking off the affected leaves (I have about 30ish). Would rather bin them than have my new (& costly) strawbs affected.

Many thanks,
Mags

[crh75]

Hi.
1.  I would just use potting compost.  I would have thought the sand and water-retaining crystals would almost cancel each other out!  Strawbs need to be quite moist.

2.  I think (not 100% though) leaf miner will not be too much of an issue if you practice good husbandry.  They overwinter in the old leaves so removing and burning/binning will reduce this.

[seedman]

Hi no you should be able  just take off the infected leaves all should be ok i think i have read  a post on here about leaf miners quick search should find it 

[bazh]

Personally I would cut off and dispose of all the leaves off the runners, and as stated regarding the sand no need IMO.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I'd be interested to hear what kind of crop you get come harvest time. I found that any container-grown strawberries were a bitter disappointment in terms of yield compared with those in open ground

[JayG]

Most container-grown plants potentially have quite a lot to put up with: too dry/wet, roots too hot/cold, overcrowding of either plants, roots, or both, unsuitable growing medium and/or nutrient deficiency, especially after a few years.

Doesn't mean it can't be done though - just needs more care and attention than when grown in open soil (which also can suffer from some of the above but perhaps not as readily.)

I too would either omit the sand or substitute some topsoil - your mix sounds well-drained enough without it, especially for strawbs.

[Goosegirl]

I am so not a fan of your supplier, and I think it is well late to deliver them. We have had a mild autumn but that was not really something you could predict accurately. I would heel them in somewhere until spring, then plant up your barrel. To feed them now wouldn't do any good as they should be relatively dormant. I would also leave your drainage pipe clear of anything so you can fill it readily with water - if you fill it with sand, it will take a while to drain and not achieve anything. If you are unsure of your runners re- leaf miner, I am sure others on here will help. I can only think of a spray pesticide when the new leaves grow after de-leafing and show a problem - maybe the removal of leaves will cure it?

[crh75]

Pesticides are not very effective against leaf miners as they are in the leaf not on/under it.  You can try squashing them in the leaf when you see them, might save the leaf!

[Yorkie]

I agree with JayG re the soil.  Potting compost is not suitable for any plants which will be in situ for longer than a season.  It contains nutrients which will only last 6 weeks during the growing season, and it decomposes.

John Innes #2 compost has a decent mix of sterilised soil as well as compost.  It retains nutrients and water far better than compost, whilst having sufficient variety in texture to be well drained.  For strawberries which wil be in situ for 2-3 years, go for John Innes rather than just compost.

[Auntiemogs]

Thanks so much guys! I shall overwinter them in the greenhouse and pot them up with John Innes No. 2 (+ some slow release fertilizer) next year. Will give me a chance to get rid of the leaf miners! Much appreciated. 

[Auntiemogs]

Oh dear! I have been checking on my strawberries which I put in large troughs in the greenhouse to overwinter. It looks like they may have botritis. 

I've been picking off any affected leaves and disposing of them in my household waste but some of them are beyond hope I fear and have just disappeared.  Out of the 24 plants which arrived in November, I am now down to 17 and at £15 for 6, I can't afford to top them up.

Is there anything I can do to salvage them?  I'm a bit miffed that T&M sent them in November and not spring when they could have gone straight into my planter. 

[bigben]

Auntie - some of mine that I thought had died off are just starting to produce new growth so you might not have lost all. I dont know what Botritis looks like  - my leaves simply went brown and died which made me worry the whole plant had died but I am seeing new growth again.

Good luck!

[Mrs Bee]

Oh dear! I have been checking on my strawberries which I put in large troughs in the greenhouse to overwinter. It looks like they may have botritis. 

I've been picking off any affected leaves and disposing of them in my household waste but some of them are beyond hope I fear and have just disappeared.  Out of the 24 plants which arrived in November, I am now down to 17 and at £15 for 6, I can't afford to top them up.

Is there anything I can do to salvage them?  I'm a bit miffed that T&M sent them in November and not spring when they could have gone straight into my planter. 

My strawbs showed some botritus, so I have cut them all down to almost ground level, disposed of all the leaves in the rubbish bin and all the new growth looks good. So here's hoping

As to containers.. I planted strawberries for the first time 2 years ago. Some in the ground and some in the towers. Got a goodly amount from the ground but nowt from the towers. OH has made a table planter so the plants will be going in there to see if that works any better.

And as to T&M. I won't use them for anything.Have never had any joy with their products or customer service. Always ended up with me writing complaint letters to get my money back because of dead or poor quality plants. Just another irritaion that you can do without.Won't even buy their seeds. I think there are better companies to deal with and we have an excellent plant nursery by us where you can see before you buy. Cheaper too.

[Auntiemogs]

Thanks for the replies Bigben and Mrs B.

Ben - the leaves went a sooty grey colour and sort of powdery (which I presume is mold spores). Maybe it's my fault for putting them in the greenhouse but I had vine weevils last year and didn't want to risk the new ones as they were so dear.  Glad yours are perking up again though. 

Mrs B. I'm with you all the way when it comes to T & M. I won't be using them again (already had to cancel my seed spuds because they were taking so long to arrive  ).
I'm not sure what to do with the strawberry planter now. Might give it a go this year and then use it for something else. 

Mags 

[Yorkie]

Putting them in the greenhouse may well have contributed to the botrytis - it can get very humid and ventilation can be hit and miss.

Fungal diseases thrive in humid and squashed conditions.  Can they go outdoors / can you split them up a little, as well as removing the affected leaves etc as previously suggested?

There does seem to be universal T&M bashing on the forum at present.  I got some superb Irresistible strawberries from them about 18 months ago and I can't stop them taking over.  So not all from them is bad.