Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi

Just a few questions on strawberries.

My strawberry plants have started flowering and I think I have a couple which look like the beginning of strawberries. They are in a 10 plant terracotta strawberry planter.

Should I be feeding them?
If so is tomatorite ok to use, and how concentrated should I make the solution?

Finally, on the bottle it says to not get the solution on the leaves but I battle not to get the leaves wet when I am watering. Any suggestions how I can water the plants? Every time I water them the compost drains out. I don't think I will be using the planter next year.

Thanks
CADS

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"A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.” - Leo Aikman
Lauren

Thanks for the tip, LaurenGrows. I will have to file it away for next year.

My strawberry plants leaves have gone white I tried feeding & given plenty of water.
I only bought the plants last September I prepared the bed with well rotted manure & riddled soil. But I don't know what the problem is. Any suggestions?

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

Hello Bubblewrap, if your strawberry leaves have gone white I think they have been chilled (frozen). Are they young plants not completely hardened ?

Hello Cads, yes tomorite is just exactly what you should be giving your strawberries. To water deep containers without wetting the plants I put a tube with holes in it at planting time (make them myself) into the container and pour the liquid feed into the tube.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

The plants were outside when I bought them from the garden centre last September & have been out side all winter but it is only in the past 4or5 weeks I have noticed the leaves turning white & now the plants seem to be flowering!

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

i give my strawbs a foliar feed as well as normal feed. make the feed a bit more dilute and spray it on the leaves, dont do it in the middle of the day on a hot day though.

Hi Bubblewrap,

Sometimes the leaves on any plant turn a bit 'white' as the water or liquid feed dries on the leaf in the sunshine. I'm not talking about sun 'scorch', but the 'deposits' in the water/feed - which is nothing to worry about. Some of my greenhouse tomatoes etc. are like that at the minute too. As long as your strawberry plants are looking healthy and growing away nicely, they'll be fine.

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With Love,
Wellie

Give it some....

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Thanks Wellie.
It dosen't look like a "feed residue" deposit to me, but more like veregated leaves to me.
This problem has been around for a few weeks.
PS. I would say very pale green rather than white.

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

I gave my starwberries a dose of general flower and fruit soluble feed last week before the rain. I'll give another after flowering. Keeps them strong and helps big berries imo.

Thanks

I will use the tomorite. Do I just follow the instructions on the bottle for tomato plants or do I need to vary the timing and dilution for strawberries?

cads