Strawberry plants...save for next year?

Ciara111

Ok I will stop harrassing you keen gardener... my sad strawberry plants... They were in the ground but I moved them to the pot because of birds and ants destroying them. There are 3 plants and they seem ok... How should I keep them over the winter... or should I just start afresh next summer? Again thanks in advance for your tips.

misgrace

I dont know if this helps, but due to lack of space in my garden beds, only because I have lots of flowers and shrubs, I decided to have a go at growing veg in pots, its my first go, and I did grow strawberrys in a pot, they did grow well, but the birds got at them, I had to put some netting around the fruit to stop the birds pecking at them.

But if you have used a growbag this year, which I did for my tomatoes, and I am very impressed how much and how good my toms are, apparently you dont throw away the growbag, you keep it, and you can plant your strawberry plants in it for next year.:-)

I grow potaoes in a garden rubble sack type bag, and they have come out well, I grew runner beans in a pot also, got some beans out of it, but might grow them in something else next year, salad onions were abundant, and I grew salad leaves in pot too, and again very impressed.

Going to try cucumber and sweetcorn next year, but will definately grow tomotoes and potaoes again, might try rasberries instead of strawberries next time.

Lord_Gardener

You didn't say what you had planted your strawberry plants in! Soil, compost or a mix? Most important is not to let the pots dry out completly and your plants should be fine - a mix with some pea gravel will retain moisture better! We've kept ours for years in pots to keep them away from slugs!

Ciara111

LG- I planted them in compost but will repot with the mix you suggested and hoefully they will continue to survive.

Misgrace- you have inspired me to grow some other bits.. I have an old sink that Im sure I can put a few things into. How did you grow the potatoes in the rubble sack? And what variety?I have a rubbe sacks lying about and would love to give it a go if its not too late.

Thanks for your tips!

misgrace

Hi there Ciara, I cant tell you what make tatties they were as I threw away the packaging, but I got an old heavy duty plastic rubble sack rolled it down and filled with compost, I planted 3 seed pots, and watered in, every day I watered, and when I saw the shoots getting bigger I would slightly roll the sack up and fill with more compost, I kept doing this till the bag couldnt be rolled up any more.
Then all you have to do is cut the bag and the earth and tatties fall out.

Someone told me that you could grow spuds from a potato peel, or an old tattie that has been left in the cupboard and sprouted, so I thought I would give it go.
I had an old plant pot, and place the old tattie in it and just watered it and filled up the earth when the shoots broke through.

I decidid yesterday afternoon to see how they turned out, as the leaves were turning brown and dying so you know the tatties are ready.

I was over the moon as I got at least 4-5 pounds of tatties from the one old spud,:j I cooked them yesterday, admittidly I overcooked them and they turned into mash lol, but the mash was a lovely pale yellow colour even before I added the butter, and they were fantastic.

My carrots didnt come out too well, they were a bit stumpy, I gave up growing broccoli, as twice I have tried, and the leaves get eaten, but my toms are so abundant,(cherry) I cant pick em all, I am giving them to my neighbours, but they do taste lovely.:D

tawnyowls

Ciara111 wrote:

Ok I will stop harrassing you keen gardener... my sad strawberry plants... They were in the ground but I moved them to the pot because of birds and ants destroying them. There are 3 plants and they seem ok... How should I keep them over the winter... or should I just start afresh next summer? Again thanks in advance for your tips.

Generally it's not recommended - you tend to get a very poor crop the following year. If you have any young plants coming off on runners, it can be worth potting them up, but otherwise, you're probably best off treating strawberries as annuals.

Ciara111

Just a quick one to say that the plants are looking really good... they've now even got a few flowers on them. I think they like not being in the direct sun anymore... thanks for your tips. C