Why can't my strawberry plants ever live!!?!?!?

[Cassandra]

Wow. Thanks for all the good info.

I am not sure what kind I am getting either. I am trading with a local lady. (Fresh eggs for strawberry plants!)

Kwynn, can you tell me a little about the maintenance of strawberry plants?

If I understand correctly, you are supposed to pinch all the flowers off the first year to encourage root development or something like that. And I think I read you should treat them as biannuals? (pulling up the old stock after it is two years old)

Just out of curiosity, how many plants would you start out with. The lady I'm getting them from asked me how many I wanted and I was like... "errrr.... ?"

Cassandra

 

[silkiechicken]

Best of luck. I can't be of much help since the cool summers and mild wet soggy weather of puget sounds is great for the plants and given the chance, if you pull weeds, they will take over the garden here. I started with I think 24 plants 5 or 6 years ago. I now have a few hundred. Never pinched flowers here and I have both june bearing and everbearing. The june ones fruit in june. the everbearing ones... well, I am still getting berries off of them now.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

Chickenboy, are you making any progress with your strawberry plants? I'm supposed to pick up some transplants in a few days. I think I am going to try doing the growing in a bag of soil thing.

Cassandra

No, they died a few days after I posted this. : - {
Sorry.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

I live in Ak, and I have had no trouble with my strawberries. I'm also learning as i go, but Ican tell you what I do know, based from my expirience.

The bare root plnts at the nursery looked horrible. all dried up, and when I sold people plants out of my garden, they said their nursery bought plants never lived, they just dried up, and died away.

i saw the plants were wrapped in newspaper, and had some vermiculite in with it. when I was selling them, I wrapped the roots in a piece of rag, that was wetted with cold water. i stressed to everyone to keep them cool.

Everytime I had dug up a plant in the years past, and replanted it, it looked sad, and i had thought it would die. I kept watering them, and feeding them, and the next spring, they would come back vigorus and healthy. I learned this was because I had not kept them cool intil I planted them. I had dug up a large tray full of them, let them sit out, the dirt around the roots would get dry...last year, I took extra precautions, and all my plants did suprisingly well.

They did so well this year that i was able to sell/trade many plants for things to fund mytiny farm.

if it is vermiticulum wilt, try planting your plants somewhere else, (crop rotation) I think it was to keep them away from where tomatoes,peppers, and I think beans...but I'd have to look again.

Planting in planters did ok, but they just dry out so quickly...I guess if you use mulch too, in the planter. I just have a prob. keeping them watered, as we have very busy summers. I try to plant as much as I can i the ground, and mulch like crazy!!

Awww...dirt said try growing in a bag of soil. I've heard of growing in strawbales too. Place a layer of growing medium a few inches thick on a straw bale, plant your plants and I think mulch with a little more straw. I might have read that in Mother earth news.



now that I've talked my head off...let me know if anything else has worked for you. I love growing strawberries...The only thing is I have no idea what kind of plants mine are. They were scattered on the hill side on the property we bought, and I have been digging them up, and making berry beds for the last 6-7 years. I do know they are june bearers...they give me berries all through june.

Thanks for this post, it will really be helpful :bouquet

 

[vfem]

Wow.... I lose my strawberries EVERY year. I pot bed them though... No one can help me.


Mine go the way of the bird and squirrel... the squirrels eventually take the whole dang plant, root and all!

This year, new house... less trees.... my own property... going to try it with a pellet gun on the porch and see what happens now!!!

 

[Cassandra]

woohoo vfem. My kinda gardener. LOL

I am paying close attention, everyone. Wish me luck.

Cassandra