Strawberries

[Excursion]

Can someone tell me what to do before I dig up all my s/b plants. I planted them several months ago (zone 5, midwest) and last month they were producing berries. However, it only lasted a couple of weeks and then they stopped.
Now, they are growing vines all over my garden and is not producing.
I would appreciate any help.
Joe

 

[Freeholdfarm]

Do you know what variety they are? Some varieties (June-bearing, in theory, but it depends on climate) only produce one heavy crop and then shut down until next year. You may have one of those. Or, your plants may produce again in the fall. You might want to wait and see before you get rid of them.

If you don't want your plants to spread, you can cut the runners off. Or, if you want more plants of that variety, you can wait for the little plants at the end of the runners to root, then cut them off and transplant them. But it sounds to me like what you need to do is look for some more plants of different varieties so you have a longer fruiting season.

Re-reading your post, I realized that you just planted these not too long ago -- strawberries will produce a little the first year they are planted, but they should do much better the second year. How well they produce after that depends on how well they are cared for. Commercial growers usually till them under after the second year crop, though sometimes they just till lightly to 'renovate' them and get a third year crop out of them. A home grower with a small patch kept well-weeded and fertilized ought to be able to get several years of good production out of their plants.

Hope this helps.

Kathleen

 

[Weft and Warp]

I grow strawberries too! The first year you plant them it is recommended that you not let them flower and fruit (esp in my zone--zone 5, where the winters can be harsh). This allows the plants to put most of their energy into putting down a good root system--so it will have a better chance living through the winter cold. I don't always follow that recommendation though, and I haven't really had any problems. But you shouldn't let them form runners the first year--that would be a real drain on their energy.

 

[Todd]

We switched from June bearers to day neutral ever-bearers years and years ago. Day neutrals aren't affected by photoperiod and provide a crop on and off much of the year. With protection we have gotten berries into late December. We currently grow Seascape.

Our problem with June bearers is that we don't want a ton of berries all at one time since we don't preserve them. Rather, we want some berries for fruit cups and for breakfast cereal.

One important point is to feed them appropriately. I use a combination of alfalfa pellets and a soluble fertilizer (we use Plantex 30-30-30 with trace minerals) for fertigation.

If anyone is really into strawberries they should buy the University of California growers book which covers everything known about them. Typical commercial yields are around 30 tons per acre.

Todd

 

[pkchicken]

Joe, looks like you have june bearers. Three weeks of berries is normal for them. Those vines are trying to make new strawberry plants for you. Next year the orginal plants should bear even better but by the third year, the plants often decrease production. That's why it's nice to have the vines make new plants for you.

If you can redirect the vines back into the bed or dig the new ones up when they have rooted and make new beds.

Every spring we end up giving plants away that we don't have room for.

pk