Comments on: Plotting a New Strawberry Bed

By: Caroline Flanagan

Caroline Flanagan — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:45:41 +0000

I have a tip from my head-gardener friend: pinch ALL the flowers of your NEW strawberry plants next year in order to ensure a bumper crop the following year. Keep them for one more year after that, then discard.
He recommends Royal Sovereign.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:59:05 +0000

I don’t think you can beat Elsanta for flavour, my puppy agreed and had most of them this year! I am planning to lift them all and put them in planters for next year so I can move them out of her way – I can deal with the yards of runners that are taking over at the same time!

By: mtp

mtp — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:46:31 +0000

Hi Joanne, I would cut it back now. I always cut mine back harsh at this time of year and they have always bounced back in Spring. Do it.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:22:13 +0000

Whoops – my strawberry BED has been completely neglected since the last strawbs were picked…any advice?

By: Joanne

Joanne — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:21:23 +0000

My strawberry has been completely neglected since I picked the last strawbs. Any advice – should i cut it back now or leave it until spring?

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:44:26 +0000

I am a big fan of Hapil, a very tasty mid season strawberry. I don’t think I could be without strawberries…just thinking about them in making my mouth water

By: Laurel

Laurel — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:14:34 +0000

What a great way to get those runners growing! The fact that you are starting a new bed got me to thinking about what I just bought. It’s a self-contained, tiered strawberry bed. (I can picture the look on your face now) Anyway, its really cool and will prevent me from digging up and preparing a new bed and will supply an easier way for me to keep my darlin’ chickens out of the berries. Check it out, under planters, at GardenHarvestSupply.com. It even has a sprinkler that you just run a hose to and if you want, a plastic dome for frost protection, in addition to the netting that will keep my chickens out! If you were to rotate your beds from one to the other….anyway, good luck with your berries. You must love them as much as I do!

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:57:01 +0000

I’ve heard good things about Marshmello too. I think Cambridge Favourite is hard to beat for taste, if a little disconcertingly orange, and this year am trying Mara De Bois since everyone seems to go on about it so much. They say it tastes like a woodland strawberry but the size of a cultivated one – which sounds very enticing.

By: Greenmantle

Greenmantle — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:53:24 +0000

Hi Gill,

A pro pos of something altogether different, BBC Breakfast ran an item this morning about the recent e-mail phishing scam, and account details posted to the web.

To illustrate their item, while doing his piece to camera, in the background the reporter logged on to his own email account, and what was top of the list….. an RSS alert from Carsonified.com.blog.