Comments on: Planting strawberries

By: olga

olga — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:49:26 +0000

hi there,
I bought 3 hanging bags with strawberry roots. At first they weredoing good,leaves started to show up but now they look dry and flowers dried and fell off.I am watering once a day,is it not enough?P.S.There is lots of sun there,too. thank u

By: janet ruppert

janet ruppert — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:03:45 +0000

Hi, My husband just bought me two hanging strawberries. We hung them on the front porch but I have a couple of questions. 1)Can I take shooters off the plant to form new plants? 2)The pots are a sort of peat/cardboard. Will this break down or will it hold up for awhile? 3) There are new shoots that are growing through the sides of the pot. Do I leave these alone? and 4) I read somewhere that I should pinch off the little flowers if I want more strawberries next year. Is this true? Thank you for your help. I’m new at this.

Hi Janet
Yes, you can take the runner and start new plants. Leave the new shoots that are growing through the sides of the pot. When you pinch off the flowers the first growing year, it will help the plant save its energy for next years crop. I’m not sure how long the peat/pots will last. They should last at least a season if not more.
For more info see above Shannon comment 12/01/2008

By: Cris

Cris — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:53:46 +0000

I have strawberries in hanging bags, how soon do i put them out of the basement i have had them in all winter. (they have been watered over the winter but not fertilized). I live in Soutern part of PA.

Hi Cris
I would put them outside as soon as the weather stays above freezing. If they are growing and have foliage, slowly acclimate them to higher light exposure by placing them in a shaded area and eventually into brighter light. Also fertilize them to get them started for the season.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:43:12 +0000

Hello,

I have had a strawberry plant for approximately 4-5 years. It has done really well in a pot and has actually sent out shooters from which I’ve gotten a couple more strawberries. Unfortunately, the plant rarely gives fruit, and when it does, they are very small. Is there a specific organic strawberry fertilizer I can use to get larger fruit or a different way I can treat the plant? Right now it gets sun all day and is of course not producing now that it is winter. Would it do better planted in the ground? I didn’t see this anywhere else on the site but I am new here so maybe I wasn’t looking in the right place. Thanks for any help!

HI Shannon
The old strawberry plant may have lost its umph. Strawberry baskets usually produce fruit for 3 years. You don’t mention fertilizing your strawberry pot. They should be fed with compost tea or fish emulsion every two weeks when the fruit is forming. The nutrients are most likely depleted from growing in a pot or container. Either repot your strawberry plant(new shooters) in fresh soil or plant it in the ground where it can get more nutrients from the soil. Make sure they get 6 hours of sun during the growing season.

By: Byron Billings

Byron Billings — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:49:01 +0000

what herbicide can I use to rid my strawberry plants of grass and broad leaf weeds and not harm the plants? Can you answer this in simple terms as I am not a professional horticulists? Cannot even spell the name, huh? PLease reply soon. Thanks

There is a chemical called Poast or Grass-Getter, a post-emergent that will elliminate grass in strawberries but not the broad leaf weeds. Follow manufacturers caution label.

By: Joey F

Joey F — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:27:52 +0000

2007-7-19
Joey
QUESTION: I have wild strawberry plants growing in my garden. I know wildlife eats the berries (had a box turtle last year) but will the wild strawberry plants take over my yard? How invasive is the wild strawberry plant?

Wild strawberries spread easily and reproduce by multiple runners and seeds. They are considered invasive especially if in grass because they will compete with the turf and are difficult to remove. Your yard should be safe as long as you are vigilant and keep them in the garden.

By: Donna B

Donna B — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:25:02 +0000

I planted strawberry plants back in the spring of this year. They bloomed and bore fruit this year. Can you tell me what I need to do to them to keep them from freezing and to make sure they bloom next year. I live in Bristol Tennessee. They are planted in a squared off spot in my back yard. Thank you for your time.

You can protect your strawberries from freezing with row covers -fabric placed over hoops and weighed down with rocks , paper or heavy cloth. Plastic gives little protection. Another way is to cover the plants with 2-3 inches of straw. This should be done after several frosts so that the strawberries have time to harden off. Remove the mulch in the spring when you see new signs of growth. Overhead irrigation is used in heavy freeze.