A few queries from a total amateur

**TEB** · 06-03-2009, 07:05 PM

Hi Love the name,
Strawberries should be fine, need to keep an eye on the weather though, if they are small you could cover each one with a cut up "pop" bottle. Tomatoes I would say is a bit early to sow outside, they are okay in containers but it depends on the size of the container and how many plants

**Eyren** · 06-03-2009, 09:35 PM

Toms need to be started off indoors - they need temps of about 20C to germinate, so if you wait until it's warm enough outside, the fruits will never ripen before the frosts arrive! Sow them in small pots, then transfer to your chosen site or container after the last frosts - probably sometime in May in your part of the world.

They can be grown in pots if big enough, or in the soil, but the important thing is whether they are an indoor or outdoor variety. Needless to say, the indoor sort will do poorly outside!

I would agree on covering the strawberry plants, given the recent cold weather. I'm going to put some fleece over mine when they go in the ground this weekend, but anything that will trap a layer of warm air and let in some light will do the job.

I remember Cosmo and Dibs - I used to watch kids TV with my son

**Cosmo and Dibs** · 07-03-2009, 03:02 PM

Thanks for those tips, guys.

I'll put a pop bottle on them today.

I find all this 'grow your own veg' fascinating. I'm going to be a regular on here!

Cosmo and Dibs are legends! I love the idea of two Geordie puppets running a bric-a-brac stall!

**HayleyB** · 07-03-2009, 03:34 PM

If you grow the toms in pots make sure they are not only well supported but also that the pots won't topple over when there's more than a breeze outside. I made that mistake last year

**Cosmo and Dibs** · 07-03-2009, 04:26 PM

Thanks Hayley. I'm using quite large pots, and I'll try and secure them when I move them outside.

The strawberry plants are quite flat at the moment. Will they start to grow upwards naturally, or will I need to tie them to a small stick to encourage vertical growth?

**HayleyB** · 07-03-2009, 04:57 PM

Strawberries are spreaders and are more likely to drop downwards out of pots or containers than go up.

You need straw or something under the leaves to stop the strawberries from being spoiled.

The runners that sprout from the plant take root when they hit a spot of soil, that's how you can get new plants by training the runners into a pot or into the bed where you want it. I used an upside down peg to secure the runner in the spot I want it to root.

**Cosmo and Dibs** · 07-03-2009, 06:34 PM

Thanks Hayley.

Would bark be acceptable instead of straw?

And if I cover them with upside down pop bottles should I put a little air hole in the bottle?

**HayleyB** · 07-03-2009, 07:05 PM

mine aren't covered with anything and they're doing dandy, I would think bark would be as good as anything just remember to clear it at the end of the season and perhaps put in a new covering to help with frost although I admit I just let mine get on with nowt for the winter

**Eco-Chic** · 07-03-2009, 09:13 PM

My strawberries have been outside in pots all winter and are looking lush (even the ones the border collie peed all over).

**Elliesmummy** · 07-03-2009, 09:20 PM

i heard somewhere,

strawberries need replacing every 2 years, is this true?

**TEB** · 07-03-2009, 09:36 PM

This is my first year for a dedicated strawberry bed and this is my thoughts on what I have read/heard.

Keep the strawberry for 3 years but in the 3rd year allow the runners to produce new plantlets and then use the new plantlets in a new bed, disposing of the old plants

**Elliesmummy** · 07-03-2009, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by TEB View Post

This is my first year for a dedicated strawberry bed and this is my thoughts on what I have read/heard.

Keep the strawberry for 3 years but in the 3rd year allow the runners to produce new plantlets and then use the new plantlets in a new bed, disposing of the old plants

thanks for that,
it's good to know, i thought you might have to start again from scratch but if you can use the runners from the existing plans thats good

**Dottie** · 07-03-2009, 10:05 PM

Originally posted by Elliesmummy View Post

i heard somewhere,

strawberries need replacing every 2 years, is this true?

As others have said you get new plants from runners, but it's best to start a new bed every 3 or 4 years.

**Cosmo and Dibs** · 08-03-2009, 03:02 PM

I'm confused about whether I should be covering them or not.

I was thinking that maybe I should only cover them with an upturned pop bottle when I know there will be a frost....?

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A few queries from a total amateur

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