Strawberry plants

bettybeaver

Can I ask some questions to all the strawberry plant growers out there in MSE land?

I have grown a strawberry plant in a hanging basket for the first time this year and to my, and my children's, delight had a few (well 8 to be precise!) very sweet lovely strawberries.
Can this plant be kept over winter and where is the best place to put it?
There are a number of what I think are called runners coming off the main plant, what do I do with these????
And how do I increase my yeald next time????

Thank you in anticipation for your help, I really appreciate it :j

angelavdavis

bettybeaver wrote: »

Can I ask some questions to all the strawberry plant growers out there in MSE land?

I have grown a strawberry plant in a hanging basket for the first time this year and to my, and my children's, delight had a few (well 8 to be precise!) very sweet lovely strawberries.
Can this plant be kept over winter and where is the best place to put it?

You can just leave it on the patio and ensure its watered over winter. Strawberries are pretty hardy and you can always fill in any gaps with some fresh plants you make from the runners (see below).

bettybeaver wrote: »

There are a number of what I think are called runners coming off the main plant, what do I do with these????
And how do I increase my yeald next time????

Thank you in anticipation for your help, I really appreciate it :j

Fill some pots with compost and place under the new runners - pinning them into the soil until they grow roots (I use bits of wire bent into U shapes). Once these have grown, you can cut the tie from the mother plant and grow them through the winter. Ensure you only take about 2-3 runners max from each parent plant so you don't exhaust the parent plant.

You can then gradually replace the oldest strawberry plants every 3 years. Discard any plants that develop any viruses (this is usually shown by stunted or speckly leaves).

Hope that helps!

bettybeaver

Thank you so much angelavdavis that sounds very simple to do, I might even try to get my girls out in the garden to give me a hand!!!!

wornoutmumoftwo

My strawberry plants were outside in all that snow last year and I have never seen so many strawberries on one plant. I had stacks, ate loads and then they went and caught a fungus.

bettybeaver

Right I can see that the English weather is not an issue but how do I help prevent fungus????

wornoutmumoftwo

I'm in scotland and we had a lot of rain (surprise surprise) and it was very very warm (humid conditions cause it). I think it's just one of those things. Saying that it was on the last of its fruit and i've just had to cut them back earlier than normal.

invisiblecabbage

i buy the old fashioned hair clips, (not the kirby grips) to stake my runners down. Works a treat.:j

cootambear

my technique is to cut them with 4 inches of runner `stalk` left and use that to fix them in the ground like a spear.

Stompydebs

invisiblecabbage wrote: »

i buy the old fashioned hair clips, (not the kirby grips) to stake my runners down. Works a treat.:j

yes i use these as well :-)