Glad we could help. Do remember that soil should never be left bare, or at least not for too long. Whenever I plant new shrubs or herbaceous perennials in my garden I surround them with organic mulch.
I do not know that Strulch organic garden mulch, but it looks OK.
Strulch gets good reviews but is expensive. I'd wait and see if the plants recover first as it will be in the way, and thus wasted, if you have to remove it all or dig some in when planting replacements.
A south facing garden is a wonderful thing to have as long as you know the rules on soil condition, watering - especially at planting time and in hot spells - and mulching to reduce evaporation.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
In the autumn when your soil is good and wet mulch all the bare bits and round all the plants with 2 - 3 inches of well rotted muck. The more often that you do this the better your soil will be but you will still have to water in dry spells!
It's really just the lack of correct watering that's been the problem. Strawberries are pretty tough and once they get a decent drink they'll be fine. Your other plants should be fine too. Depending on how many plants you have, and if you can't be bothered getting the hose out, the easiest way is to use a watering can without a rose, and just point the spout right at the base, so that you don't water the foliage. If it's a dull day it doesn't matter so much. We all made mistakes when we started out Jim, so don't worry.
You should see the state of some of my strawberries, that have been neglected since last year. Just as well I don't have to water pots too often
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
As many have stated, watering is the main issue here. Strawberries LOVE and need water to not only grow, but for the fruits to swell.
Water with a can and give them a bloody good soak to start with, then do so as needed moving forward If you're South-facing and you have hot, constant sun with no rain as you've described, then give them a good soak in the evenings, and be sure to water around the base of the plant rather than on it. You want to not get water on the leaves & fruits ideally, so misting is a no-go. You'll also definitely need to mulch as has been described, partly to avoid evaporation given how hot it is, but as others have said, also keeps the fruit off the ground to prevent rot, deter weeds etc. Do this (and feed with high potash feed weekly) and you should be fine.
The good news is, If the weather is as good as you say, getting on top of the watering and protection now means your plants should recover suitably well enough that you might still get a fair few fruits from it.
Aside from that, the bottom plant especially looks a bit yellow in places, which is a Nitrogen deficiency. Try and lightly dig in some used coffee grounds around the plant, maybe some well-rotted manure too, and that should definitely do the trick. Plus, your plants could do with some extra nutrients as if you get ontop of the watering issue, they're going to be going into overdrive to 'heal'.
Also if you're planning on keeping any runners at all this year, I'd advise against it. Give your plants the best chance you can now loving forward.
Posts
A south facing garden is a wonderful thing to have as long as you know the rules on soil condition, watering - especially at planting time and in hot spells - and mulching to reduce evaporation.
Strawberries are pretty tough and once they get a decent drink they'll be fine. Your other plants should be fine too.
Depending on how many plants you have, and if you can't be bothered getting the hose out, the easiest way is to use a watering can without a rose, and just point the spout right at the base, so that you don't water the foliage. If it's a dull day it doesn't matter so much.
We all made mistakes when we started out Jim, so don't worry.
You should see the state of some of my strawberries, that have been neglected since last year. Just as well I don't have to water pots too often
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Water with a can and give them a bloody good soak to start with, then do so as needed moving forward If you're South-facing and you have hot, constant sun with no rain as you've described, then give them a good soak in the evenings, and be sure to water around the base of the plant rather than on it. You want to not get water on the leaves & fruits ideally, so misting is a no-go. You'll also definitely need to mulch as has been described, partly to avoid evaporation given how hot it is, but as others have said, also keeps the fruit off the ground to prevent rot, deter weeds etc. Do this (and feed with high potash feed weekly) and you should be fine.
The good news is, If the weather is as good as you say, getting on top of the watering and protection now means your plants should recover suitably well enough that you might still get a fair few fruits from it.
Aside from that, the bottom plant especially looks a bit yellow in places, which is a Nitrogen deficiency. Try and lightly dig in some used coffee grounds around the plant, maybe some well-rotted manure too, and that should definitely do the trick. Plus, your plants could do with some extra nutrients as if you get ontop of the watering issue, they're going to be going into overdrive to 'heal'.
Also if you're planning on keeping any runners at all this year, I'd advise against it. Give your plants the best chance you can now loving forward.