Strawberry quandary

Mollymoonlight

I have around 20 strawberry plants that are around 3 years old. They were given to me, so I have no idea what variety they are, although I do know they are a late variety as I don't get any fruit until late August. I have two decisions to make regarding these strawberries:

1. They have had a bit of a hard life as we've had two house moves in the past three years. Both times they have been lifted out of the ground in April and stuck in pots before being transplanted to their new homes. Last year, I decided to try putting them in hanging baskets as our current garden is minuscule. Despite adding water retaining crystals to the baskets (and the long periods of rain), they never seemed to have enough water and really suffered as a result. With hindsight, I think I may have had too many plants in baskets that were too small. As you can imagine, the crop was abysmal. Will they recover from last year's trauma, or should I cut my losses and buy new ones?

2. Regardless whether I persevere with my current plants, or get new ones, I need to decide where to put them. I have a south facing front garden which gets wonderful warm sunshine, but is rather exposed as the sea is to the west of it. In the back garden, there is no room against the south facing fence, because everything else that needs sun in here. I good plant them in the green roof on top of the rabbit hutch, but there they will only get morning sun, which will disappear about midday. So, is it better to try to shelter them as best I can in the front garden (no fences aloud as its a new build estate), but risk them being damaged by wind if the weather turns, or have them in the back garden, where they probably won't get enough light to give a good crop?

Or should I just cut my losses and go to the pick your own place, and use the growing space for more veg????

Oh help.

TallGirl

I think you are suppose to ditch them after 3 years but take runners to keep new stock going. I have grown in both pots and in the ground with mix results. I have 6 plants in the ground but it was so wet some of them rotted before they could ripen and they were in a south facing patch. The ones in the pots actually did slightly better as they hung over the edges of the rectangular pots.

I have decided there are other things I would rather grown this year so it's two pots or I get one of those large plastic strawberry planters which is what John Harrison's growing in small spaces book recommends.

As for where to put your plants or pots the ones in pots were grown agains an East facing fence.

I think they are quite pretty in pots so I would recommend you try them out in the front garden in some nice planter but as you say don't cram too many in and remember to feed and water.

Good luck with your new garden are you finding lots of builders rubble I still am after 18 years.

Mollymoonlight

Thanks Tallgirl, that's just the advice I needed. I now won't feel too guilty about getting rid of them . I may also give them a miss this year and use the growing space for other things.

The estate was actually built about five years ago, so the garden has had time to settle down, but yes I find all sorts of carp if I dig. I put some bulbs through the lawn (if you can call the moorland like green patch at the front such) and had to fight with all sorts to get them in. Believe it or not, they've left us with heavy clay soil on what is in fact raised beach. They were carting the top soil from the foundations of another build at the top of the town. It's so heavy I can do nothing with it, so I've just put in raised beds for the veg in the back and the little border at the front has cottage garden style plants hat can cope with the clay, like saxifrage, Russell lupins, oxeye daisies and such.