(Maybe this didn't get seen because I appended it to earlier post?)
Followup:
Concerned because beaucoup runners but zip strawberries. Tried to ascertain on-line whether allowing runners inhibits fruit production, but no clear reply. One sites suggested cutting off runners first year.
I guess I could set up an experiment, cutting off runners in Group A and allowing them in Group B.
But I planted the damn things to get fruit NOW!
Any comment on runners vs. fruit?
HB
I did another search and found:
with lots of information, but none that seems applicable to my So. Calif coastal plot. The only possibility that resonates is "don't expect a lot first year".
But then we are told in many places that strawberries should be replaced every 3 years So that doesn't give much bang for the buck.
Interested in your comments, esp. as pertains to similar climates.
HB
Higgs Boson wrote: ...
what variety(ies) did you plant? have they been getting enough water? how hot has it been? how much light do they get? are they near a wall or rocks that may be reflecting or storing heat?
if you don't need the extra plants to fill a space then it is better to not have the plants putting energy into runners.
3-5 plants per square foot is plenty.songbird
Can't remember exact. June-bearing. Chandler, a local standard. have they been getting enough water? Yes
how hot has it been? Varies between 70-75 F to days of 80+
how much light do they get? a lot
are they near a wall or rocks that may be reflecting or storing heat? Yes. Against a pink block wall, nearest plant about 1-1/2' away; others 3-4' IS THAT BAD????
Aha! That's what I thought but was misled by contrary info. As I noted earlier, since we're told that strawberries should be pulled after 3+ years, need action now! ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW LONG KEEP PLANTS?
At present have far fewer.
Tx for input, Songie!
HB
did they have flowers/fruit on them when you planted them?
anyways, likely they are past the time for flowering/fruiting and that's it until next season.
that helps.
only if it gets too hot. in cooler climates it is a way of extending the season.
most references and my own experience says about three years and then move the patch to another spot. if you don't have bug or disease problems then you can keep them in the same place, but you will still want to replace the oldest plants and do some work on the soil to get it recharged. i turn most of my plants under and grow beans and peas and add green manure/worm castings. mulching with pine-needles, shredded bark, etc. seems to be going well other than the black spot, but it doesn't affect fruit quality or much else so i don't worry just makes the plants look sad right about now (after the first big crop). in a few weeks they'll look ok again when they get the new growth going.
put some ever bearing plants in and you might have another crop or two yet.
y.w.
songbird
No fruit. Flowers either when planted or VERY SOON afterwards.
Grrrr! It's partly my fault for buying into the inaccurate runner philosophy. Wasted at least 3 weeks. Have just cut off all, will replant the babies just for the helluvit.
So doesn't sound like it would be a factor here.
if you don't have bug or disease problems then you can keep them in
OK, wisdom filed for future use -- if I'm spared to carry out the move My last foray into strawberries is probably 4-5 years ago, and I don't remember and problems. Only did away with the site because of general garden config.
i turn most of my plants under and grow beans and peas and add green manure/worm castings.
Ah, another worm casting freak! I debated started my own production, but ended up buying worm castings from store. Always use for transplant, and you're reminding me I have to cultivate around roots of many plants, and mix in worm casting.
Hard to keep up with things, given all the watering one has to do. Water is very expen$ive here and will probably get more so, given our State drought conditions.
From your mouth to Her ear! Appreciate all the practical advice.
HB
your plants had flowers but never got fruit?
if you wanted babies leave the runners on until the babies rooted. but anyways, with the empty spaces there's a better use for them until next year anyways.
depends, if a hot reflection discourages insects then you may not get much pollination going on, if it blocks the wind or rain, that cuts down on pollination too. so there's always effects perhaps unintended, but to sort them out may take some observation.
when i saw the lack of bees this strawberry flowering bout i made a point of watering them with the hose to encourage pollination even if it was only the self-pollinating going on. there were other bees that came along eventually and other insects too besides bees which did some of the pollinating, but all told, i liked to be sure.
i miswrote that and should have said worms/worm castings as i also add worms. most of them will die and provide fertilizer directly from their remains, the few that survive (those that come from the cocoons and those teeny ones) help keep the rest of the population going. they are great workers for our heavy soil, helping to break it up and to get nutrients and air moving. for a few years a strawberry patch is mostly no-till for me other than spot weeding, getting rid of the too many runners and adding mulches on top. the worms do the digging.
right now i'm gradually shifting my worm species diversity by including more natives in my breeding bins. it will take a few years before i'll get a large enough population going, but it is interesting. :)
i sure hope that improves... but there are plants that will still fruit even in arid climates, so all is not lost, just that people may have to shift their production towards those more arid tolerant crops/plants.
i'd be recycling every bit of gray water i possibly could out there. putting a plug in the drain and scouping out the water if i had to. when it gets that dry i wouldn't want to waste a drop.
...
i wonder if you'll be able to find ever bearing plants this late.
songbird
[...]
Update: Need advice on how to "tie down" the runners. Went to some strawberry groups but none specific on this point.
I have tried to root them, but doesn't seem to take. Would you use clothespins, or some hardware, or...?
Have given up on strawberries this year, so thought I might as well take advantage of mass quantities of runners to make more plants.
TIA for any runner tie-down techniques.
HB
I usually place a small stone on top of the runner very close to the new leaf set. It wouldn't hurt a thing to leave it there until next spring.
So low-tech & practical! Tx!
Any other suggestions?
HB
that's what i do too.
the runners will root into about anything as long as there is moisture.
if there is a lot of stronger winds moving the runner around you can tie it down with a stick bent in half and stuck in the ground. the bit of bark that holds the sticks together is often strong enough and lasts long enough for the runner to root.
i've used bits of wire, coathangers, longer clothespins or just bits of sticks and they all worked just fine. since we have tons of crushed limestone around i can often find a bit of a longer piece to use that fits across a runner.
songbird
More great suggestions! Will get my posterior out there first thing and start nailing those puppies down.
HB
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.