Q.
What do I need to do with last year's strawberry patch to ensure a bumper crop? I've just left them in the bed with straw around.
A.
- Remove the dead leaves and plant material from around the plants.
- Remove any runners and plant them in another place in the garden, or in pots, so that you have successive planting of strawberries.
- It pays to replace plants every 3 years as after that fruiting is reduced and the fruit becomes progressively smaller.
- If plants show signs of black spot on the leaves, spray with a copper-based spray as a protectant and clean up spray for fungal diseases, this can be done in winter up until flowering time.
- Over winter remove last season's straw from around the plants, it is a haven for slugs, snails, earwigs and slaters.
- By removing the straw you will reduce the populations as they will find a new habitat.
- Replace with fresh straw in early spring when the ground is still damp.
- Start feeding with Tui Strawberry Food when you see new growth appear.
- Feed every 4-6 weeks throughout the growing season to ensure a bumper crop.
- If you see deformed fruit set through winter and early spring, remove them as this is incomplete pollination by bees and the fruit is unlikely to develop.
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What do I do with my strawberry patch in winter? Comments
Do I need to put a frost cloth on my strawberry plants.
Michelle Carr
Hi Ann, strawberries are frost tolerant, your strawberries will be fine with frost as long as the foliage has hardened off. If you are in a frost prone region you can place straw around for extra protection, but do this before the first frosts otherwise it insulates the soil and keeps it cold. Remove any fruit and flowers that may be hanging on as they will likely get damaged by frost.
Lianne