This is my first time growing strawberries (or trying to). After reading through many posts at this forum and other websites I decided to go with a couple of hanging baskets and 2 large 18 inch round planters. I prepped the soil during winter, let it rest and selected spots that would have plenty of sun.
A couple weeks ago I saw some strawberry plants at a local nursery and bought some Sequoia and Quinalt; 4 per each planter. They also had bare root strawberries which were very small runners in a pack of 10 or so. those were Ozark Beauty and I put them into the baskets.
I read that covering the soil with straw helps to keep the plants clean and the soil moist. Had a small bale left from a Halloween decoration so I used some of that straw.
Like I said it's been about 2 weeks since,. The first week was very warm and sunny the second week a little cooler and often cloudy. Now I have been noticing that while about half of the plants in the planters and 3/4th of the smaller runners in the baskets are growing well, developing healthy green leaves and even a couple of flowers the others seem to be dying. They are turning brown and limp.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Could it be the soil is too moist? Should I have waited with the straw until the roots are better developed? What confuses me is that only some of the plants are affected while the others in the same planter look so healthy.
Also any other advice, tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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applestar
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Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure which ones are failing.
Just the ones that you purchased as bareroots or the container plants also?
The bareroot plants, some of them get dried out -- I would think especially if you bought them at the big box store -- and they don't have the strength to grow and establish new roots. At least first couple of weeks to first month is spent mostly establishing new root system. When new growth starts, you know they "took" and are happy.
Oh! Another thought -- did you make sure to only snuggle the plants down? Only about 1/2 of the crown should be buried. (The brown papery wrapped center stem of the rosette of leaves and roots)
Just the ones that you purchased as bareroots or the container plants also?
The bareroot plants, some of them get dried out -- I would think especially if you bought them at the big box store -- and they don't have the strength to grow and establish new roots. At least first couple of weeks to first month is spent mostly establishing new root system. When new growth starts, you know they "took" and are happy.
Oh! Another thought -- did you make sure to only snuggle the plants down? Only about 1/2 of the crown should be buried. (The brown papery wrapped center stem of the rosette of leaves and roots)
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Rogue11
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Actually it's more of the container plants that are dying. Literally 50%. The bare roots ones are doing much better. I soaked them before planting them and 8 of the 10 have started growing nice leaves.
Hm... maybe I did plant some of the plants too deep. Do you think it's too late now for those that turned brown. Should I re-plant them or just forget about them and start fresh with a few new ones?
Hm... maybe I did plant some of the plants too deep. Do you think it's too late now for those that turned brown. Should I re-plant them or just forget about them and start fresh with a few new ones?
50% that died off in the same planting site as I understand it, I would have to think of a problem with your soil. If your soil came from another land area of previous gardening perhaps, plants like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or even other strawberries that have be grown in the last two years will cause fungus disease "verticillium wilt" which become active in cool, humid weather, that gives the symptoms of outer leaves to dry up and turn dark brown and makes the plant appear dry and flattened.
I find strawberries forgiving, but that could be just me, when I first planted strawberries, after the soil settled there were plants up to high and down to low but they made out with a full bed two years later.
Just a thought you were saying you covered them with straw from a Halloween bale, caution be advised...unless you know that they come from a clean field don't place them into your garden. They harbor weed seeds and ruthless to boot...I made that mistake also.
I find strawberries forgiving, but that could be just me, when I first planted strawberries, after the soil settled there were plants up to high and down to low but they made out with a full bed two years later.
Just a thought you were saying you covered them with straw from a Halloween bale, caution be advised...unless you know that they come from a clean field don't place them into your garden. They harbor weed seeds and ruthless to boot...I made that mistake also.
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Rogue11
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Thanks for the response, Shadylane.
I don't think it's the soil; it is fresh potting soil, same brand I always use mixed with a bit of manure and my own compost. I use the same mix for other plants too.
I actually suspect that Applestar was correct; I might have planted some of the plants too deep. Like I said I'd never planted strawberries before and didn't realize the crown shouldn't be buried. In fact I dug up the plants that were wilting and replanted them with the crown peeking out and 1 of them seems to recover and is showing green grow in the center. The others I will probably have to replace.
As for the straw, other than seeds what problems could it cause? Wondering if I should get rid of it.
Thanks again.
I don't think it's the soil; it is fresh potting soil, same brand I always use mixed with a bit of manure and my own compost. I use the same mix for other plants too.
I actually suspect that Applestar was correct; I might have planted some of the plants too deep. Like I said I'd never planted strawberries before and didn't realize the crown shouldn't be buried. In fact I dug up the plants that were wilting and replanted them with the crown peeking out and 1 of them seems to recover and is showing green grow in the center. The others I will probably have to replace.
As for the straw, other than seeds what problems could it cause? Wondering if I should get rid of it.
Thanks again.
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applestar
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Glad to hear some of them are recovering. 
As for the straw, one other issue -- and I think this would have shown up already if present -- is that straw is the stem of cereal grain. So they are sometimes gmo or treated with broadleaf herbicides (like lawn weed killer, they don't affect the grass but kills other kinds of weeds). The herbicide if still present can affect your non-grass (typically most veg garden) plants.
My take on hay vs. straw is that hay is often mixed with clover, alfalfa, etc. and so not treated with the broadleaf herbicide, though can contain weed seeds. Also hay is "green" (nitrogen) and can become hot and burn plants, but if used after letting them "spoil" -- I.e. Let them get wet, hot, sprout seeds and mold first, then dried out, they make excellent mulch that breaks down to feed the soil. Basically, they are more like grass clippings.
For strawberry mulch though, I found hay to be too "wet" and tends to rot and get slimy -- clean new straw seem to protect the berries better by raising them up from the soil and they are less apt to get moldy.
Note though, that any mulch creates hiding place for slugs and the black beetle pest that eats the berries. And the slugs use the straw mulch as highways to get around.
In spring when the strawberries start to show signs of waking up, I pull back the mulch and add veg fertilizer and compost, then lightly mulch to cover the compost! then when they start to bloom and set fruits, I give them tomato fertilizer and add clean new straw for the berries.
As for the straw, one other issue -- and I think this would have shown up already if present -- is that straw is the stem of cereal grain. So they are sometimes gmo or treated with broadleaf herbicides (like lawn weed killer, they don't affect the grass but kills other kinds of weeds). The herbicide if still present can affect your non-grass (typically most veg garden) plants.
My take on hay vs. straw is that hay is often mixed with clover, alfalfa, etc. and so not treated with the broadleaf herbicide, though can contain weed seeds. Also hay is "green" (nitrogen) and can become hot and burn plants, but if used after letting them "spoil" -- I.e. Let them get wet, hot, sprout seeds and mold first, then dried out, they make excellent mulch that breaks down to feed the soil. Basically, they are more like grass clippings.
For strawberry mulch though, I found hay to be too "wet" and tends to rot and get slimy -- clean new straw seem to protect the berries better by raising them up from the soil and they are less apt to get moldy.
Note though, that any mulch creates hiding place for slugs and the black beetle pest that eats the berries. And the slugs use the straw mulch as highways to get around.
In spring when the strawberries start to show signs of waking up, I pull back the mulch and add veg fertilizer and compost, then lightly mulch to cover the compost! then when they start to bloom and set fruits, I give them tomato fertilizer and add clean new straw for the berries.
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jal_ut
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Growing strawberries or any thing else in pots has its problems. The main problem is room for the expansion of roots. To understand where I am coming from with this, I ask you to take a look at this page.
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 7ch18.html
There are many other examples of root development of other common garden plants on this site if you want to browse. One thing becomes quite obvious, if you are to be successful with growing in pots you will need to watch closely the dampness of the soil and water frequently as needed since the pots dry quickly.
A plant grown in the ground has several cubic feet of soil, perhaps cubic yards, from which to pull water and nutrients. A plant in a pot has a handful.
https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 7ch18.html
There are many other examples of root development of other common garden plants on this site if you want to browse. One thing becomes quite obvious, if you are to be successful with growing in pots you will need to watch closely the dampness of the soil and water frequently as needed since the pots dry quickly.
A plant grown in the ground has several cubic feet of soil, perhaps cubic yards, from which to pull water and nutrients. A plant in a pot has a handful.
None, it's great for use if it's a clean bale.Rogue11 wrote:As for the straw, other than seeds what problems could it cause? Wondering if I should get rid of it.
There were a variety types of weed seeds, but one that was a huge problem for me was the poison hemlock it's a devil. The damage was done when I used the bales as cover through out the land area.