Do I leave the early flowers on my strawberry plants?
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Q.
I have flowers on my strawberry plants that I planted last season. It seems early, do I trim the flowers off to promote new growth or leave them on for early strawberries?
A.
- You can do both. There is always good debate about removing early flowers or leaving them on the plants.
- If you leave the flowers on the plant you will get fruit, however early fruit is often misshapen due to incomplete pollination during wet and windy weather. The fruit will likely be small and not so sweet due to the lack of warm weather and sunshine.
- If you remove the flowers the plant's energy will go into producing bigger, better sweeter juicier fruit in the coming months!
- When spring arrives, feed every four to six weeks over the key growing season with Tui Strawberry Food.
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Do I leave the early flowers on my strawberry plants? Comments
Hi Tui team & Co. Have some store bought kumara that I'd like to grow slips from (can't seem to find any to buy ready for planting :) and plant into the ground. What is the most productive way to do this?
kim
Hi Kim, let the kumara start sprouting, put it somewhere warm such as the hot water cupboard. The shoots should start forming roots as they get to 10cm long, carefully remove the shoots and plant or divide the kumara into pieces with shoots attached. Make sure you give them plenty of space to grow, treat the area as you would for planting potatoes. A light dressing of superphosphate will help develop lovely big tubers. Avoid putting too much nitrogen into the soil, light soils are best. Happy planting, Tui Team
jenna
Hi Tui Team My globe archichokes are infested by a small round black bug chewing the stem of the leaves .. Would like to eradicate them ..tried all sorts ,anyone knows what are they called ..and how to destroy them ?
Marie Aimee
Hi Marie, it sounds like you have a type of aphid residing on your plants. If you have a jet nozzle on your hose, try and blast as many off as you can, then allow the foliage to fully dry. Then treat with an insect spray - check at your local garden centre. All the best ^Tui Team
jenna
I have planted strawberry plants in a tunnel house so they probably won’t get the bees to pollinate. Will that be an issue?
Alison
If you leave the glasshouse doors open during the day the bees should find their way in to the tunnel house. You will know very quickly if the flowers aren’t being pollinated and may need to do hand pollination of flowers with a small paint brush if there is no fruit set.
Tui Team
Hi, I have a lot a little strawberries peeping out and lots of blossom. Is this right or do I pinch off the blossom and tiny berries Thank you. Ann.
Ann
Hi Ann, it is normal to get a second flush of fruit in autumn, the fruit are not usually as big, abundant and juicy as in spring. In summer once fruiting has finished, tidy up the plants, remove old foliage and feed them with Tui Strawberry Food, and keep plants watered through the summer months, they will fruit again in autumn.
The Tui Team