Strawberries and raspberries together

[Mugwump]

I have just had a family friend round our house, and while looking around the garden she told me that strawberries should be planted at the opposite end of the garden to raspberries- but she didn't know why. Could anyone shed any light on this for me please?

TIA
Hannah

[scarey55]

, my strawberries and raspberries are right next to each other and they produced runner up raspberries in the virtual veg show last year so...

Hopefully it wasn't just a freak.

Ps, some pretty good strawberry jam too

[Mugwump]

I have googled it, but nothing came up. Perhaps she was talking bulls manure!

[cstopallot]

What on earth is a virtual veg show??!!

[percy charlie]

i think it has something to do with the fact some diseases affect both plants so by keeping apart if one got a disease the other had a chance of escaping, same if one has had a disease and you plant a new crop dont plant in same place or switch them as the other would get it. if all the plants are disease free no reason to move them, especially if doing well.

[TonyF]

But some writers who know their stuff - for example Joy Larkham - suggest underplanting raspberries with strawberries as a weed supresant.

[percy charlie]

my advice came from percy thrower admittedly the book was publised around 1978 and things move on, but his advice is working for me and has become my garden bible counted around 1500 strawberry flowers on 100 plants this morning and another 25 plants have yet to flower.

[bramble]

Might it be to stop the raspberry bushes from shading the strawberries as they are so low growing. Can't think of any other reason.

[Two_Sheds]

Might it be to stop the raspberry bushes from shading the strawberries as they are so low growing.

Shouldn't think so ... strawberries originated in woodland.

[scarey55]

What on earth is a virtual veg show??!!

Sorry, I 've only just caught up with this.

The whole details are here but last year we had a virtual veg show where people entered photographs of their produce a bit like a veg show that you might have in your village or town but with photos. I know I'm not explaining it very well but if you look at the link you will get it.

I'm sure everyone who took part will agree, it was great fun - Thanks to all involved.

[Shortie]

Hi

I've got raspberries growing amoungst my strawberries, and the main things I can think of are shading of the strawbs and that the raspberries can be complete thugs and sprout up anywhere (including this year between the slats of next door's decking )

But that said my crops of both were lovely last year

[Madasafish]

I've grown both together for the past 20 years.. with no problems..

[rustylady]

Shouldn't think so ... strawberries originated in woodland.

Aha - have you ever been to Thetford Forest? Raspberry plants grow wild there in the dappled shade under the trees, and so do strawberries. Fact is both plants appreciate moist cool root conditions, and not too much direct hot sunshine. I've never tried combining them, but in theory it should work if the soil conditions are right.

[divvy]

I have my raspberries growing up a fence underplanted with strawberries and no problems at all.