advice on growing strawberries

cootambear

sim1974 wrote: »

My Strawberries always grow and fruit well and aren't bothered by pests, they look beautiful but have no smell and taste foul, really bitter with no strawberry taste at all. The plants are in a sunny site and my soil is sandy/v free draining, I try to water regularly.
Do any of you kind people have ideas how I could improve things,or would I be better off growing turnips!?:rolleyes:

Do you know what variety they are, because they sound like Elsanta?
I`d throw them away and plant mara de bois. Come back next near year and thank me

steady__eddie

Thanks cootambear, Mr. Muir has just received a Visa payment. Oh well that's my comfort spend for the month blown. All I need to do now is find some space for the little beggars.

sim1974

Thanks Cootambear for your recommendation. I think I may have some Elsanta but I have at least one other type with smaller berries which has a faint strawberry taste but is overpowered by bitterness, I wonder if my soil (v sandy probably doesn't hold nutrients) is the prob. Any ideas

ginvzt

I bought some mara de bois this spring and they are looking very nice now. I also got some Gariguette, which is supposed to be nice as well, and I am eagerly waiting for the first ones to ripen! I got 3 lots - a hanging basket by the front door (hope postman won't pinch them!), a strawberry pot from colleague with 12 holes (the lowest ones died, unfortunatelly) and a square pot with the a few more.

The plants grew huge (very tall leaves), and the strawberries now look a very good size, just wish they got red sooner!!! Will report on the taste once I try them.

Dutchprincess

My DH got an Ostara Strawberry plant for me 2 years ago on Mother's Day. I planted them right away. The plant doubled in size and I got a few tiny berries the next year. This year the plant has gone from about 1 sq ft (sorry, American measurements not EU) to 2.5 x 4 ft and the harvest was pretty good.

My question is what on earth should I be doing with this thing?!?

I do NOT have a green thumb and normally kill every plant I'm given - weeds do well for me though!

Thanks, V.

bendipa

Advice on home-grown strawberries.

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Strawberrys__Review_5919635