Just at my 4th strawberry!

[chickenwhisperer]

Yup, the 4th one in five days...
Each one tasted just a bit sweeter than the last I think


So my strawberry plants are all in hanging baskets, I have 8 different varieties in 4 baskets, 1 kind in each top part and 1 kind in holes drilled around the sides.
Each basket has a june-bearer and an ever-bearer variety.
I used half-organic potting soil and half rabbit fertilizer, mixed well, in each basket, and each plant got a scoop of straight rabbit poop under the roots.

These are plants that I bought this year and I tried to pick the plants with the most flowers/ green berries.
They have been planted and hanging in my backyard for 2 weeks now, full sun all day.
The plants themselves have really taken off and are really fillin out and gettin bushy, with tons and tons of new flowers and new green berries every time I look.


Am I going to fast, am I gonna kill these plants and have to buy new ones next year?
Each ~3.5gallon basket had 10 nursery plants planted into it, 4 in top and 6 around the sides.

Just thinkin about all the delicious strawberries Ill have this summer is makin my mouth water.
Tomoro is payday, maybe Ill go get some more...

PS- oh and sorry in advance, Ive grown a few vegetables in the past, but this is my first real fullon vegetable garden(yes I got lots more than strawberries) and you all are probably gonna get a new post each time I try a new veggie I grew... the radishes and lettuces are days away from pickin

 

[dickiebird]

Strawberries are my favorite crop. I only wish they produced more than what I get.

I don't think you will kill them, the ones I do in containers in my greenhouse always do just fine.
I very seldom buy plants, usually bare roots and give them a season inside then move to garden in fall. They will make runners in the container. Those new plant and the new ones in the garden I use to make new rows and to replace older plants.

Good luck with your's!!!

THANX RICH

 

[so lucky]

don't you just love strawberries? If I'm not mistaken, even the everbearing varieties don't bear all summer, just over a longer period than the June bearers. so by mid July, I don't believe you will be getting strawberries. Not sure, so you need to check with someone who has more experience than I. Just don't want you to go buy a bunch more strawberries expecting them to bear fruit, and then be disappointed. After they bear, the plants should start putting out runners, with baby plants on the ends of the stems. Many experienced growers plant these babies and distroy the older parent plant, that may not produce as well next year.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

K, so I read that the "ever-bearers" that I got are actually day-nuetrals, and should produce a crop early(like nowish) and another in the fall...
But you make me worry, so I definately am getting another hanger and more plants, cant be too careful now...

As far as once they stop producing, my plan was to use any new runners I get for new baskets or hopefully Ill have a better-designed garden next year...

So these plants I got now, I should just plan to get rid of them once I get the runners?
I thought I could chop em all down to the crown and over winter in my garage or something, then theyd grow next year too?

Alot of info and sources I read said to cut off all flowers the first year to make a strong plant... good thing I did the exact opposite or what???

Thanks!

 

[bluelacedredhead]

I bought a hanging basket of June bearers 2 years ago. When they finished producing, I just separated them and planted them in an old flowerbed. This year, they had multiplied like crazy, so I used some of them for a strawberry jar. Yesterday morning I picked our first ripe berry and during the day, something ate the other two that were almost ripe

Yes, I'm sure you could overwinter them in your garage in the hanging baskets. And best of luck making new plants.

 

[digitS']

. . . The plants themselves have really taken off and are really fillin out and gettin bushy, with tons and tons of new flowers and new green berries every time I look. . .

. . . Alot of info and sources I read said to cut off all flowers the first year to make a strong plant... good thing I did the exact opposite or what???. . .

I think that the plants are showing that they have been able to do more than just survive a little bit of an impatient start. I doubt that they are burning out or anything and their location and the care they have been getting has been what they want. You may be getting some very warm weather there in Sacramento now - it has to be important to keep those baskets well-watered.

It is difficult for a plant to do 2 things simultaneously: grow and reproduce itself. Usually, these things happen at different times and, after a move, it is best to stop the plant from just flowering and going to seed. (By the way, all those little strawberry seeds are on the skin of the fruit. I wonder if any other plant sets seed like that . . .)

It seems that your plants have been able to mature their fruit while growing at the same time. Usually with strawberries there's a "Planting Year" followed by a "Production Year." At the end of this Production Year, there is need for "Renovation" of the field. That has to do with thinning the plants.

Since new plants can be very productive during the next season, old plants are more subject to disease, and the plants can't produce well if they are crowded - older plants are removed. They will have only been in that ground for about 18 months by then. You should know that it shouldn't be necessary to pull them out at 18 months, just that when selecting one over the other, it will probably be best to go with the younger plant.

I'm not very experienced with strawberries. This is only the 2nd time I've had them here at home but I have a friend who has about 1/4 acre of strawberries and lots of grandkids to pick them every summer .

Steve

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Steve, you just explained it perfectly to me, thankyou