I am hoping to have a plot in a community garden this year. I would LOVE to have strawberries, but the plot will not remain intact for the following year, unfortunately. What I'm wondering is...if I plant strawberries, is there a way to dig them up and save them until the following Spring? I'm in an apartment, so I really can't just put them in the ground somewhere at home until Spring, or I would do so in a heartbeat.
Am I better off just buying my strawberries at a u-pick and planting annual vegetable/herb plants in my plot?
I have 2 year old strawberry plants and they are doing fairly well this year, but I live in New Orleans and not Minnesota where you have such severe winters. I can see where the plants will likely not make it much past this year as the foliage is showing some stress. Perhaps if I transplant them out of the containers I now have them in, they will do better. However, they are real cheap in my area to replace, so I'll likely buy new next season.
I had a friend who used to pin the runners to the soil in flowerpots, and allow new plants to start. Then, she could move the potted starts indoors, during the worst of the winter weather.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I have been told by the folks at one of the nurseries I frequent that it's best to renew strawberry plants every few years. It was years and years ago, and I can't remember the reason. It seems like it had something to do with a pest or disease that can infect the crown of the plant. It might be something that's limited to the location I'm in, though.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I have been told by the folks at one of the nurseries I frequent that it's best to renew strawberry plants every few years. It was years and years ago, and I can't remember the reason. It seems like it had something to do with a pest or disease that can infect the crown of the plant. It might be something that's limited to the location I'm in, though.
In general it pays to re-new strawberry plants every few years.
the problem is that straws pick up viruses very easily through aphid transmission and with disease and the like they lose their strength and cropping qualities as a result.
You can extend the crop for a while by rooting up the runners ...but they too will carry any problems that the parent may have got.
Most good nurseries will carry stock plants that have been virus tested and are therefor ' clean' when you buy them.
This gives you a new start ...and if you can plant into a new area ...so much the better.
You can crop new plants on the year of purchase but they will have to be plants with crowns of 9mm or more which are selected for that purpose and as a consquence are more expensive.
the problem is that straws pick up viruses very easily through aphid transmission and with disease and the like they lose their strength and cropping qualities as a result.
You can extend the crop for a while by rooting up the runners ...but they too will carry any problems that the parent may have got.
Most good nurseries will carry stock plants that have been virus tested and are therefor ' clean' when you buy them.
This gives you a new start ...and if you can plant into a new area ...so much the better.
You can crop new plants on the year of purchase but they will have to be plants with crowns of 9mm or more which are selected for that purpose and as a consquence are more expensive.
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
and if you go for varieties like TriStar and SeaScape, you will get a fairly large crop the first year. These are ever bearing varieties.
This picture is of SeaScape the year planted.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02310.jpg[/img]
and another
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02289.jpg[/img]
Eric
This picture is of SeaScape the year planted.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02310.jpg[/img]
and another
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Fruits%20and%20Berries/DSC02289.jpg[/img]
Eric