Q.
This year I am going to plant some strawberries in baskets and my greenhouse. When I planted them in the garden, there were wee mites that spoilt my crop. Your thoughts on how to prevent these would be appreciated. Also, should I still use straw around my strawberries in the greenhouse?
A.
- A botanical oil spray is effective in treating mites, make sure you spray the underside of the leaves as that is where the mites are feeding. Repeat sprays will be required. Talk to your local garden centre about a suitable control.
- The trick to keeping your strawberries pest free is to make sure they are not stressed or checked, with consistent watering and fertilising.
- Use a controlled release fertiliser or Tui Strawberry Superfood Liquid fertiliser, apply weekly in the growing season, especially while plants are flowering and fruiting.
- Tui Seaweed Plant Tonic gives a good boost to your plants, stimulating root growth, promoting healthy plant growth and building resistance to insect pests such as mites.
- For hanging baskets use a quality potting mix such as Tui Strawberry mix that is free-draining and contains all of the nutrients strawberry plants require for successful fruiting.
- Adding Tui Strawberry Straw to your hanging baskets is not really necessary but it will help conserve soil moisture, the main reason for using straw is to keep the fruit clean and off the ground.
- Also make sure you have good ventilation inside your greenhouse, air movement helps prevent pest and disease issues too.
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How do I control mites on my strawberries? Comments
Can you tell me why I can grow beautiful heads of broccoli and large heads of cabbages but right beside those are small miserable cauliflower. They are all growing in the same soil.
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa, this does seem like a real mystery as they are all brassicas and members of the same family. You may have a brassica disease in the soil called club root; this stunts the performance of anything in the cabbage family. Suggest starting off new seedlings and rotating where they are planted. Cauliflowers do need more air movement to keep them actively growing, and don’t cope with wet feet as much as the other two do. Good luck. You could try growing them in a large bucket or pot. Thanks, Jenna - Tui Team
jenna
Talking of strawberries. I have just purchased and assembled with hubbys help my shade house. I want to plant my strawberries in spouting guttering and have them hanging off the back wall of the shade house. Anything special I should do to ensure a decent crop. Cheers Nola Day
Nola Day
Hi Nola, this sounds like a great idea. Check out our Grow Strawberries in Guttering guide here: http://www.tuigarden.co.nz/howtoguide/grow-strawberries-guttering for our top tips. Make sure you have good ventilation inside, air movement helps prevent mildew issues too. Aim to keep the soil just moist but not water logged.Thanks, Jenna - Tui Team
jenna