advice on growing strawberries

TheMole

malamala wrote: »

Thanks! I will be potting strawberries later today.

Just read on the net that one should remove any blossoms after planting them in pots 'This will give them time to be established before expending energy towards growing fruit.'

Thanks!

I wasn't aware of this (1st time with strawberries this year), do you remove the flowers before or after they flower ?, how can you tell a flower bud from a fruit bud ?.

steady__eddie

When they start to flower you will see the little white petals. I usually do it at this stage and just nip them off using my thumb nail and forefinger.
A word of warning however, you will require more willpower than that required to give up smoking. I know because I have tried both (and failed with both).

kethry

steady__eddie wrote: »

When they start to flower you will see the little white petals. I usually do it at this stage and just nip them off using my thumb nail and forefinger.
A word of warning however, you will require more willpower than that required to give up smoking. I know because I have tried both (and failed with both).

well i quit smoking almost 2 years ago... and with the strawberries.. i have one growbag with 6 strawberry plants in it, which i am allowing to flower and fruit (and pinching out strawberries) and a pot with 3 plants in which i am pinching out the flowers to grow runners (which will hang down into the pot below - i'm doing a strawberry centerpiece) and a third pot which i haven't quite decided yet which i'm doing!

so it can be done - in both cases!

keth
xx

teapot2

OK now I'm confused - why does it require willpower to nip off strawberry flowers as mentioned above by Steady Eddie? My strawberry plants are growing well - no runners but lots of flowers and was going to pinch them out until I read the varying advice here....

Where exactly do the strawberries themselves form on the plant - are they on the runners or near the flowers or ????

Noozan

teapot2 wrote: »

OK now I'm confused - why does it require willpower to nip off strawberry flowers as mentioned above by Steady Eddie? My strawberry plants are growing well - no runners but lots of flowers and was going to pinch them out until I read the varying advice here....

Where exactly do the strawberries themselves form on the plant - are they on the runners or near the flowers or ????

The strawberries form where the flowers are - that's why it requires willpower to nip them out. No flower = no fruit. Nipping them out allows the plant to concentrate it's energy to give you a super dooper crop next season. I don't have the aforementioned willpower, so I just let them fruit away.

HappyIdiotTalk

Mine dont have flowers on yet, is that a bad sign?

steady__eddie

Sorry if I caused any confusion about nipping the flowers off. Having tasted home grown strawbs, I don't want to wait until next year for a bumper crop, I want them NOW.

demented_2

Just bought six strawberry plants from the good old co-op. All for £1.99.
buy 2 and get one free, so i bought 1 tray of strawberries and 2 trays of Bushy Lobelia. Going back tomorrow to buy another tray of Strawberries, I haven't made up my mind what other plants to buy for the 3rd one thats free.

teapot2

steady__eddie wrote: »

Sorry if I caused any confusion about nipping the flowers off. Having tasted home grown strawbs, I don't want to wait until next year for a bumper crop, I want them NOW.

No problem as a first time strawberry grower I didn't quite get that if you take the flowers off - no fruit till next year.... not sure i can wait either so will prob just leave them - quite a few flowers which hopefully is a good sign.

Another question though - does that mean there will be no runners to peg down for new plants unless I take the flowers off? If that's the case might just do one plant. Soooooo much i don't know about growing strawbs but its exciting learning

Anyone know?

mariauk

I am growing alpine strawberry for the first time and have both flowers and runners. I have taken some of the runners off but want to try and root some as well. Do iI just leave the runner pegged on top of another compost filled pot to root or do you actually bury it leaves and all? Thanks :A

Maria