strawberry pot

[p.penn]

This year I planted my strawberry pot up with lovely pink flowered strawberry plants (which was a bit of an investment!). They have got a bit 'chickened' but as the pot has been on my garden table, not too badly.

So please can anyone tell me what to do with it now and over the winter? I really would like it to produce next year as it did this year!

Thanks,
Helen

[Nellie]

I've just potted up the runners into individual pots. The large plants I composted.

They're on the ground outside the greenhouse and every time I trip over them I remember that I need to put them inside once the frosts start to bite. They'll overwinter in the greenhouse, and I'll then pot them up ready for an early start next spring.

The whole secret with strawberries is to keep the offsets and chuck the big plants, so continually renewing them.

[Mo]

I thought they cropped better the second year than the first. (in a bed). Though you would need to renew after 2 or 3 years.
In a bed they are fine over winter.
How frost proof is your container?

[Chicken on the Hill]

From what I've read,it is best to deflower the plants first season,to produce better plants the next few seasons. It is best to change plants every few years,and not plant in the same patch,or compost. I normally cut the plants off just above the crown this time if year. They also recommend that you use plants from certified stock(disease free guaranteed). Runners are clones of the parent plant,complete with any diseases,but just keep an eye on them and get as much as you can from plants and runners,until productivity or diease deems otherwise. Hope this is of use.

[4 french hens]

Overwinter in a greenhouse then harden of in may prior to going back outside, or completly wrap in garden fleece, this protects from frost but allows light through, however you must unwrap it to water sparingly once a week again untill after last frost.
whichever method you choose, look at it long and hard each week to make sure it's ok.

Best of luck,
Mike

[Willow]

Mine are in a big pot outside, third year now and have been better each year than the last, but they do get several doses of fertiliser throughout the year.. The pot is too big to pop into the greenhouse (which is full of chook food and straw etc.) so I dump a pile of compost on top of the pot.. they've been fine..

[Johnhson]

I'd just cut the browning foliage off and only water enough to stop the compost drying (too wet = rot) then in the spring water with something like Miracle Grow to get them started, following on when they start to form fruit with a tomato fertiliser like tomorite.

You could also mix some Osmacote into the top compost as a slow release fertiliser.

Strawberries should really be swapped out every 3 or 4 years for new plants started from runners. They're pretty hardy so don't worry about keeping them warm in winter. (Alpine strawberries get cold)