To late for bare root strawberries?

Sabina13 · June 2020

Well I've got them in, so I'll be finding out at the end of the season anyway but thought I'd gather an opinion or two whilst we wait. We just planted some bare root strawberries (the ever bearing ones) is it to optimistic to hope for a crop by the end of this season? They've taken in a day and produced new leaves already, the day after being planted.

Slum · June 2020

You should remove the flowers in the first year to prevent fruit formation. This will allow the plant to use its energy to establish itself giving you better fruiting in subsequent years.

Sabina13 · June 2020

Hi slum

I did read of this method but don't think I'll be doing it for a couple of reasons; I don't believe fruiting in the first year (as is natural for the plant) will really diminish any vigour, it'll just be doing its thing without human interference. After fruiting it'll naturally focus on setting its self up for next year, and it will definitely have enough months to do that after flowering.

Secondly the roots were so big, long and plump I really feel confident the "base" is a good base, which I guess is also evident by the fact they've taken so quickly, and have started pushing out new leaf growth.

Dovefromabove · June 2020

The roots haven’t ‘taken’ yet ... if new leaves have appeared in a day that’s from energy already stored in the crown of the plant when it was growing before.

I understand you think that by allowing the plants to fruit in the first year you are allowing them to behave naturally .., big uprooting them and storing them in a cold store ives winter until now us not ‘natural’ by any stretch of the imagination and plants need a bit of support to grow to their optimum after this process.

If you want your plants to grow and produce well, not just now but in future years, you’ll follow @Slum‘s advice.

If you’re happy to pick a few fruit this year and exhaust your plant’s reserves, not allow it to build up a good crown this year to produce a good crop next year and the year after then do as you think best ... they’re your plants. But you did ask 😊

Sabina13 · June 2020

Haha dove, thanks for your input. To be accurate I did ask if they'd fruit or not this year

but I absolutely love diverse discussion so dont mind the tangent.

The way I see it is, as you've all probably heard before (and as is the case in all fields) there's more then one right way. There's only a problem when we become ignorant to that fact and presume only our observations, our research, our conditions, our gardening behaviours and our previous experiences are the 'one truly right way'.. not saying that's happening here but its a point to bare in mind with any differences of opinion.

I have found more home strawberry growers then not, don't pinch flowers in the first year and push forward that experience. Maybe it was an old practice? Or something speicifc to certain varieties of strawberries? I don't know and it doesnt really matter, but something must explain why (in my research experienece) its not a widely held practise anymore.

As for picking few fruit and exhausting plants reserves, if that's been your experience, sorry

if its something you've just read, then I'm sure you'd proceed differently, but by no means is it (as its presentation indicates) a matter of fact

Skandi · June 2020

Actually whether you remove flowers or not depends on the size crown you bought. commercial crowns come in A1, A2, A3 and waiting bed. the last 3 all produce fruit in the first year, many large commercial farms plant A3 or waiting bed plants for one year only and then ripping them out and starting again. You can also buy crowns bare rooted all through the year (nearly) so that the harvest can be staggered. Last year I bought a mixture of sizes (but no A1's) and got between 180 and 150g per plant, this year the plants are on course to beat that.

I would think that if the strawberries you got have been kept well they will produce fruit in around 8 weeks. so yes you have time.

Edit my experience is from a farm that does 1 year only on a hectare of strawberries (around 30k plants) and my own miserly 1.5k that I keep for 3 years)

Dovefromabove · June 2020

As I said ... you asked ... I answered according to my experience ... not ‘something I’d read’ 😐

They're your plants

GemmaJF · June 2020

Dove's advice is not 'old' advice, it is the ever bearing varieties you are discussing where it is recommend that the first flush of flowers are removed. Other varieties, only if the plant appears weak.

It's fairly obvious that this sort of advice comes from years of growing experience and real world evidence that not doing so sets the plants back.

It's not rocket science and no way did your plants 'take in a day'. That is nonsense. It was simply the bare roots coming back in contact with soil triggering growth from stored reserves. Hence why you really don't want the plant now putting even more energy into a first flush of fruit, before it establishes a new functional root system.

Sabina13 · June 2020

Thanks for your responses. Skandi, perfect, knowledge re the strawberries, context and info highlighting specifics... love it all. It definitely makes more sense then just saying a random "remove the flowers".

Gemma, whether doves advice is old or not doesnt matter. You've clearly taken it as a insult to have knowledge thats old though; whereas I prize my old knowledge over new knowledge... some food for thought.

I was pondering if its old as only older gardeners say it (in my experience) my own parents are "older gardeners" (foreign farmers from abroad migrated here, from a long line of foody self sufficient peoples) so again before you take that as an insult... just don't. Not everything needs to be read negatively.

I fear this heat is getting to all of us

Sabina13 · June 2020

Skandi I forgot to mention, 8 weeks sounds amazing! I am looking to replace these plants after two or max three years but I have no idea what size crown I've brought or what "A" I'll get reading and hopefully find out.

Oh edit, whether they've taken or not I have no idea but I'm certainly not insulted if they havnt. All I know is what I can see which was new leaves the next day and 4 new leaves by today (2 days after planting). If its from stored reserves great, from the root taking, equally great. IF they continue at this rate 8 weeks doesn't seem as impossible as it seemed last week

GemmaJF · June 2020

Sabina13 said:

Gemma, whether doves advice is old or not doesnt matter. You've clearly taken it as a insult to have knowledge thats old though; whereas I prize my old knowledge over new knowledge... some food for thought.

You may think that, not at all. You seem to be very defensive and very ready to make a lot of assumptions about other people. Did anyone get personal with you? No they did not. All people are doing is giving advice.

The only time I've heard of leaving the first flowers is for cold stored sets. If that is what you have that is fine. For bare root, the advice always has been and still is, to remove the first flush of flowers on ever bearing varieties.

It is very easy for me to check reputable sources and find out if something is a gardening myth or makes biological sense and is current up-to-date advice. So I know in this case Dove was perfectly correct in the advice you seem rather overly enthusiastic to dismiss.

To late for bare root strawberries?

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