Strawberry advice please

[JuzaMum]

I have strawberry plants growing. Some are fruiting, some are not. The original plants came from two different places but I don't know which plants are which. I did snip the runners off the plants a while ago as they appeared but this doesn't seem to have had any bearing on whether they have fruited or not.
So do I give up on the non-fruiters? If so can they go in the compost? Or do I plant the runners from these in the hope they fruit next year.
I plan to plant the runners from the successful plants. When should I do this?
Last question! Why do I keep seeing nice red strawberries but they seem to disappear before I get to them and my young children find this very funny?

Thanks

JuzaMum

[boboff]

I don't know on the non fruiting? seems odd.
We have a dog that eats them mind?

[JuzaMum]

No dogs here. No flowers on the non-fruiting plants either.

[diggernotdreamer]

have a look at this http://strawberryplants.org/2010/08/str ... awberries/

[seasidegirl]

They might be different varieties - which fruit at different times - so they might all flower then fruit in the end.

Could you label plants as they fruit and then, when you get to the end of the season, you will know which ones didn't.

[JuzaMum]

Thanks Digger but I am still baffled. The plants are all located in the same place in similar pots so I would rule out disease or non pollination (the bees are busy in my garden )
Seaside girl - Yes I shall keep tabs on which fruit and which don't.

JuzaMum

[Odsox]

have a look at this http://strawberryplants.org/2010/08/str ... awberries/

I did take a look, and apparently I have no chance of getting a decent crop of fruit from my 9 month old plants.
I had quite forgotten the advice we got many years ago about picking flower trusses off during the first year. I wonder how many commercial growers would be prepared to wait 2 years before getting any strawberries to sell.
I think I will disregard that site and continue in my own sweet way.

[diggernotdreamer]

Thought that was a bit odd as well, have never picked off the flowers, I thought you should never grow strawberries in the same place for more than two or three years?

[MervDownunder]

From a productive point of view, strawberries should be treated as a short lived perennial. The best crops are likely to be in years 3 and 4. Before and after these years the amount of fruit and health of the plants is likely to be less.

I would advise as follows, assuming that young plants have been purchased, borrowed, stolen, or otherwise aquired:

Year 1: Plant in humus rich soil, remove flowers and runners.
Year 2: Allow to fruit at will, but restrict to 1 runner unless rapid increase in plants is desired. Net plants to exclude Blackbirds and Blackguards (children!).
Year 3: Maximum fruit crop, allow one runner.
Year 4: Replace half original plants with year 2 runner offspring which should now be large healthy plants.
Year 5: Repeat year 4. The choice of runners from year 2 or year 3 plants should be based on the observed health and vigour of these young plants. New ground will help to prevent buildup of soil disease. Once the rotation is established, it takes little work to maintain a permanent crop.

I have found that strawberries are generally a pretty tough and reliable crop, but if you have problems it might be best to chuck any feeble established bed and start again in fresh soil. Strawberries are a woodland crop, so high organic matter in the soil is desirable.

Good luck
Merv

[Odsox]

That's certainly one way of growing strawberries.
I treat mine as annuals though, after seeing what commercial growers do around here, as I assume they know the most cost efficient and most productive way of growing them when their livelihoods are at stake.

I grow my strawberries in troughs, 4 to a 2' 6" plastic trough and after fruiting allow them to produce runners. When I have enough plantlets for my needs I pot them (plantlets) individually and grow them on under glass all winter, not allowing them to go dormant.
Then re-plant the troughs in spring and get a massive crop of fruit, and then start over again.
Works for me...

[doofaloofa]

I grow for 3 years taking runners as they appear and planting out in august ready to fruit next year

I leave the ground fallow for two years before re planting

[daffodiltulip]

I had some strawberries this year, and the slugs very kindly left me a couple.
Has anyone tried a strawberry called Madame [somethingorother] Schindler?