Strawberry Help

[phkc070408]

So I planted my strawberries 2 years ago. Last year I got a nice crop, but they were all relatively small.

I made a few mistakes.
1. I planted both Junebarings and Day Neutrals. The June Bearings were all on the one half gf the garden in 2 rows, and the Day Neutrals are in the other half of the garden, in 2 rows.
2. I didn't realize the plants would spread so quickly, and I now can't tell which are the runner plants and which ore the parent plants.

Last year, I got a good size crop, but they were all relatively small and not very sweet.

After my crop was harvested, I used the weedwhacker to take the tops and leaves off of the plants, but protected the main ball that the leaves and roots grow from. I applied some organic fertilizer including some Urea. hey remained uncovered for the winter, since it doesn't get very cold here.

I'm starting to get some flowers now. I just went outside with a clean paintbrush and assisted with the pollination, since insects are very few and far between. I also noticed that some of my buds have a small green strawberry already, while others have a dark center.

I want to know what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, and what my next steps should be.

Specific questions:
1. Should I apply some more fertilizer now?
2. Should I continue with the assisted polination?

Thanks

 

[redback]

Apply seaweed (kelp) to the leaves and flowers at the recommended rate now and every two weeks.

I'm not sure about the types as you name them but the ones that fruit three times can be thinned out after their first crop has finished. Keep the old leaves and stems pruned.

I think you have planted them into a black plastic mulch. If the crop is small again this year you need more fertile soil and should transplant all the runners next winter.

 

[phkc070408]

What do you mean by applying kelp to the leaves? How do I apply it to the leaves and not the whole garden? It will fall off of the leaves the first time the wind blows.

 

[redback]

What do you mean by applying kelp to the leaves? How do I apply it to the leaves and not the whole garden? It will fall off of the leaves the first time the wind blows.

Sorry, I mean liquid seaweed. It's available in many gardening outlets.

 

[phkc070408]

Sorry, I mean liquid seaweed. It's available in many gardening outlets.

Liquid Seaweed. Thanks.

How about the assisted pollination with the paintbrush?

Also, what to you mean by transplant the runners? Do you mean plant them in another garden? If I'm going to plant them in this garden, why wouldn't I just let them go in the ground naturally?

Finally, I don't believe I have any mulch on them. If I did mulch them, it wasn't a plastic mulch. It would have been a standard Home Depot Black Wood Mulch.

Earthgro 1.5 cu. ft. Black Wood Shredded Bagged Mulch 88559180 - The Home Depot

Instantly beautify your landscape with this Earthgro Black Mulch. Helps conserve soil moisture and moderate temperature.

www.homedepot.com

 

[redback]

How about the assisted pollination with the paintbrush?

You need pollinators. Grow borage and flowers around the perimeter.

Also, what to you mean by transplant the runners?

The old type of strawberry gave fruit at three times a season and lasted for three years. Each year the runners were removed and planted elsewhere. The new type of strawberry (I've not grown) is planted and just produces runners in the first year then crops once in profusion. I believe it only produces once.

If I did mulch them, it wasn't a plastic mulch.

Okay I thought I saw plastic mulch in the photo. They need acidity and so pine needles are a good mulch. The wood mulch does drawdown nitrogen as it rots. Add nitrogen with liquid fish emulsion. (Urea is not normally organic).

Your plants look alright although the leaves can be a darker green. For that reason, you might mulch with a lucerne chaff so long as there is room and you don't cover the crowns.

 

[redback]

Under General Gardening talk, March 2024 the thread 'Strawberry expert needed' has a good explanation of the new strawberry varieties by gary350. He discusses planting times, harvests and transplanting runners. Have a look using 'Search'.

 

[phkc070408]

OK. I'll look at that article when I get a chance, maybe later this week. Thanks..

Unfortunately I don't have any pollinators in the ground yet. I started some Marigolds and Nostrums in seeds, but none of them have bloomed yet, which is why I use the paintbrush. Also, the bug/insect population is still very low. I'm in northern Delaware, Zone 7A.

I agree that natural flowers attracting insects are the way to go, but that's not an option right now, so I was using the paintbrush to help out.

That said, some of my flowers have a small black spot in the middle. Others have a green center. Is the black center an indicator that I can still pollinate them with the paintbrush?

 

[redback]

I agree that natural flowers attracting insects are the way to go, but that's not an option right now, so I was using the paintbrush to help out.

They self-pollinate. They are a lot better with bee pollination. The change in color is just normal development of the fruit. You might be surprised how good seaweed is at fruit setting and development.

 

[phkc070408]

OK. I bought some of the seaweed, although it was the liquid concentrate. While the directions say to mix it at 1/4 cup per gallon, it doesn't say how much to use per square food of bed.

My bed is 60 square feet. I made 32 ounces of it in a spray bottle and applied about 3/4 of the bottle to my plants. I them dumped the rest into the garden. shaking it as I was dumping it to spread it out.

Did I use enough? Too little, too much?

Instructions say to re-apply ever 10 days to 2 weeks.


Oh - and I read that thread. Quite helpful. I'm going to bookmark it. Thanks

 

[redback]

it doesn't say how much to use per square food of bed.

I don't measure really. I just cover the bottom of the watering can with a concentrate I make from the powered seaweed. It's the color of weak tea, then I fill the can and really saturate the ground and leaves of each plant.

 

[phkc070408]

I followed your directions to a T, only using the liquid instead of a powder. 4 gallons of Mix over the 60 sf bed. Leaves, buds, and all. Fingers crossed.

 

[redback]

I followed your directions to a T

Really? My instructions were deliberately loose because that's how I garden. I said 'saturated' to give the impression that a light sprinkling is not enough. I said 'weak tea' because I wanted you to avoid the idea that stronger is better. Not knowing your soil or rainfall patterns, the extent of your planting or how far they have spread I can only be approximate.

Seaweed has a lot of potash normally and that will boost your flowering. I still think pollination and treatment of runners needs attention.

 

[Helen Wasserstein]

It sounds like you're off to a good start with your strawberries, and addressing these questions can help improve your crop.

1. Fertilizer Application: It's generally advisable to fertilize strawberries with a balanced fertilizer before they fruit. Since you've already applied fertilizer post-harvest last year, you might consider a light application of a balanced fertilizer or a side dressing of compost if the plants look like they need an extra boost. Be cautious with nitrogen-heavy fertilizers like urea, as they can promote foliage growth at the expense of fruit production.

2. Assisted Pollination: Continuing with assisted pollination is a good practice, especially if natural pollinators are scarce. It can improve fruit set and quality.

Additionally, ensure the plants are well-watered, especially during flowering and fruiting. Regularly trim excess runners in June-bearing varieties to focus energy on producing larger fruit. Mulching can help retain moisture and prevent weed competition. Following these steps should help improve your strawberry crop over time.

 

[phkc070408]

Thanks Helen. I'm hoping for a better crop this year than last year, but I still have to recover from a few mistakes.

When I first planted my plants, 2 years ago, I had them in neat rows, with the day neutrals on one side of there garden, and the June Bearings on the other. As much as I tried to learn about what to do post harvest, I couldn't fully understand. Needless to say, I allowed the runners to grow wild and I now have a garden with probably too many plants, and they're all mixed up.

I finally found a good video on how to identify and transplant the runners. The video also explained that a plant can do only 1 at a time - provide fruit or provide runners.

Red: I agree that the runners need attention. While my garden has a lot of buds in it, I pulled about half of my plants out, hoping that it's not too late to provide more nutrition to the remaining plants for this season. I also did put some organic fertilizer down on Saturday I believe.

Finally, I cleared one corner of the garden to put 2 new plants in, 2 plants that I'll know what type of strawberry they'll produce. After the June fruiting season is over, I'll clear some more ground and allow these two new plants to produce runners, and this time I'll keep an eye on them and plant them in strategic locations, rather than letting them run wild.