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strawberry plants

English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
in Fruit & veg
Are these strawberry plants dying? We had flowers and little tiny strawberries  but they dried up and they're not really looking great... 
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    You don't say when you planted them nor whether they were new this year. They look very small to have expected fruit from them but check the crowns and see if they are still "live".
    Strawberries are hardy but need the right site and soil to thrive. Most people find it best to work on a 3 year cycle which enables you to get fruit in 2nd and 3rd year and grow on runners to replace the old plants.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I'm going to say they dried out they need quite a lot of water and if they are up against a wall they are probably not getting much rain even when it comes.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They need lots of food and water to thrive. It looks like they haven't had that.
    As @Skandi says, against a wall will also be drier - the wall and it's founds will soak up moisture, and if the plants are also in the rain shadow of the wall, that also has a big effect on moisture take up.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    @philippasmith2 @Skandi @Fairygirl I put them in a few months ago, and they were a bit bigger than this. We went away for a week, bit it was forecast rain so I thought they would be fine. I guess that's when they dried up then if being next to a wall means they wouldn't get any water 🤔
    Do you think I should move them? 
    Should I get some sort of plant food? Will a general one be ok? And can I use that for my tomatoes as well? My mum said i should get some plant food for those aswell, or should I get a specific plant food for the tomatoes? 
    Thanks very much for your help! 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Tomato food is ideal for any fruit - great for strawberries.
    Ideally, you can give them a slow release fertiliser when they start into new growth in spring - I use B,F&Bone if they're in the ground, but tomato food in pots. It would be wasteful using the tom food in the ground as it would get washed through too quickly.
    The best thing you can do is find a better spot for them and improve the soil condition though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    Thank you @Fairygirl, I think I will try to put each plant in a different area in the garden and see how they do  and then maybe I will have to buy some more next year! 
    For the fertiliser, is that the same for the tomatoes? To use the blood, fish and bone one if they are in the ground? And use the tomato food for the ones in pots? 
    Sorry I am such a novice, I only started gardening last september! I didn't realise these was so much to think about / learn 😅
  • English_girl_in_FranceEnglish_girl_in_France Posts: 108
    @Fairygirl I do have lots of compost, if I replant some in pots should I use only compost or should I mix it with soil too? I have some soil leftover from when I made my vegetable patch that says it is for vegetable patches? Thank you again! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I only use tomato food for tomatoes as they're annuals - strawberries are perennial. Toms don't need feeding until they start setting fruit though - using it before that is a waste, and isn't necessary  :)

    I just use compost in pots because it'll be getting refreshed with some new stuff each year if they're staying in the pots. You could add some decent soil if you have it though - strawberries will appreciate it if means a little bit more moisture retention, which might be what you need in your climate.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    If you planted them this year,you won't get much of a crop. We planted anew bed last year,3 different varieties, normally you are told remove 1st year flowers. They die right back over winter. We always used tomato feed for everything,now it's chicken pellets,in winter,they are huge and so are the fruits, Ericacious loam based soil works best,huge amount of water,never let them dry out
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2021
    I would use only chicken manure pellets in the first year as they're high in nitrogen which promotes leafy growth ... and remove any flowers and runners in the first year.

    In subsequent years I would also use tomato feed or rose feed ... anything that promotes the production of flowers and fruit.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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