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Help with overwintering Strawberries, Please

Hope someone can give me some advice.

I bought some strawberry runners earlier this year, and have planted them up in pots.  Some survived, some didn't, and the ones I have now look healthy and are sending out runners which I'm taking advantage of for some more plants next year.

So far, so good.  However, with the weather being bonkers at the moment, my Strawberries seem to think it's May rather than September, and are covered in green fruits that are swelling and maturing, and also flowering and settng more fruit.  Do I need to move the plants into a cold frame to get the fruits to mature?  Will this weaken the plants for next year?  I am totally new to growing fruit & veg, so any advice will be appreciated.  I'm also assuming I'll need to water them, how often will I need to do this over winter?  Will once a week be enough?

I really want to keep the plants hoping they'll produce lots of fruits next summer, as I can't afford to keep buying them and my little boy loves eating them!

Thanks.

Posts

  • jo4eyesjo4eyes Posts: 2,058

    Mine are totally out of step too- tyring to fruit now with no real hope at this time of year.

    With yours, depending whereabouts in UK you are, I'd be inclined to put the pots into the coldframe for the time being- you may get some acceptable fruit, but time is running out this season.You could also plant out into soil now & they would cope over winter with no or minimal protection.

    Anything in pots, even in a coldframe, would be better in the cold weather if the pots are insulated- bubblewrap fine. This will protect the roots from freezing.

    Yes they will need some watering over the winter, not too much, nor too often & removal of any obviously dead/dying foliage to prevent the spread of mould to healthy foliage.

    Next Spring you can gradually get the plants used to being out of the coldframe before either planting them out in the ground or repotting in fresh compost ready for the season next year. J.

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Unless they are special runners that should fruit this year, you should have taken off the flowers and fruit and cut off any runners to build up bigger plants so that they would be healthy and strong enough to go in the garden and overwinter there.

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