Last year I grew my strawberries outside. Big mistake. The blackbirds get up at first light. Given that during the strawberry season we don't have total darkness at all 'first light' for a blackbird means anything after 0330. So I never saw any of my strawberries and attempts at covering them were futile. Anyway I like blackbirds and I forgave them.
This year I grew them in the polycarb from last year's plants. Everything seemed to be going well. They were not huge but were fairly plentiful and very very tasty. I ate many of them with a box of rather luscious chocs I was given for my birthday. I limited myself to one choc per day. The strawberry harvest lasted about 3 weeks worth of coffees. The chocs were supplemented by my favourite chocolate orange segments.
However the strawberries suddenly stopped growing much bigger than a large pea. They appeared healthy but were throwing out runners at an alarming rate. So a few days ago I trimmed them all back and decided to leave them for next year. In the meantime I bought another 5 plants of various varieties to see if I could get a second crop. When I asked about a second crop I discussed with the owner of the market garden the fact that my crop had suddenly come to a rather unexpected end. "Ah! You're growing them in a polycarbonate tunnel are you?" Indeed I am. Apparently it's been far too hot for "indoor" strawberries the last few weeks. Despite keeping windows open and using a large fan the temperature in the polycarb has often got into the 40s ºC. The strawberries just go into survival mode and throw out runners instead of fruit. One lives and one learns.
If it gets warm again I shall ensure that I have a blackbird proof home for the strawberry plants. That's a job for tomorrow.
Heart warming you learned about the strawberries and heat from a real person. Those moments in the community of humans is dwindling with the Internet and AI being so handy.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, neighborhoods had at least one tree with a huge net over it to keep out birds. Maybe that would work on strawberries.
Maywyn, we are fortunate enough to have several market gardens one of which grows a lot of it's own stock.In addition we have a local Facebook gardening group which is always good for information and sharing triumphs and disasters.
DeleteWe have strawberries in our backyard, but they self-seeded somehow because we never planted them. However, they grow prolifically. The fruit is quite small and we generally leave it for the chipmunks. I was out in the countryside yesterday and noticed that the Mennonite farmers have a great crop of strawberries this year, so I'll make it a point to pick some up today. Unfortunately we don't have chocolates to go with them, but we do have frozen Cappuccino yogurt, and I think that would do quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I have a plethora of wild strawberries in my garden too. They are fairly small and the blackbirds always get to them first which, as they are wild, is probably fair enough. I can't really imagine a frozen Cappuccino yoghurt!
DeleteWhat an interesting bit of knowledge! I did not know this, but it makes sense, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt does, indeed, Debby. It hadn't occurred to me before.
DeleteI am extremely envious. Our strawberry plants have been very slow to get going and the few fruits that appeared were decimated overnight by slugs. We had put wire mesh over the bed to keep the birds off but the slugs got there first.
ReplyDeleteJayCee, I'm not. going to tempt fate, I hope, by saying that so far this year I've not had a slug or snail problem. I had a HUGE war on them last year.
DeleteWe're about to be inundated with raspberries, enough for both us an the blackbirds, but as for strawberries, but a single flower this year. Probably will clear them out and start again.
ReplyDeleteTasker, I had hoped to grow raspberries because I love them even more than strawberries and they remind me of my Grandmother who grew them. Unfortunately I don't have any suitable area but I'm working on it.
DeleteStrawberries and chocolate - what a delicious combination. We have had a small handful of very tasty berries and live in hopes of more, The raspberries are more prolific.
ReplyDeleteJabblog, I love raspberries but I don't have anywhere to grow them at the moment.
DeleteWe had a large strawberry plot on the farm as children covered with straw and nets. Now I am content to buy punnets of strawberries for myself during the strawberry season from local suppliers. This suits me fine. I do not eat strawberries out of season and the season is fairly short so the spending can be measured and warranted. Like asparagus, the same. I have never got my head around eating fruit and vegetables in anything but the correct season. I imagine you are the same.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I became very used in New Zealand to eating everything local and in season. There were exceptions, of course, for things like oranges which are not grown in New Zealand and are imported from the US. It was just like my childhood. We were fortunate in that my Dad had an allotment because our garden was too small for growing vegetables. I will not buy imported strawberries because they are usually hard and tasteless hydroponically grown rubbish. Having said that a lot in the UK are now using the same method. Perthshire strawberries that I've had recently have been tasty. On the whole I do eat British and in season but I can't claim to be exceptionally rigid all the time. And occasionally even local lets one down - I had some very poor quality English asparagus recently.
DeleteWhat an ideal trio to consume. In the 90s I tried unsuccessfully to grow strawberries. I never tried again. I think the market gardener made a lot of sense. Here's hoping you still have time for a second try this year.
ReplyDeleteWell, Andrew, I've got the plants and I'm just hoping for the right weather.
DeleteI thought we planted in winter to get a good summer crop of strawberries. I grew them once. As it turned out the birds got more than we did. Good luck with another crop. That bowl sitting beside the chocs look pretty good to me!
ReplyDeletePauline, that bowl WAS pretty good! Another crop will be a bonus but I'm assured that it's possible (presumably if I do things correctly and have a modicum of luck).
DeleteI grow mine in big pots, and they've been fine. I've also planted a load of 'runners' in another big pot for next year. I now have about 5 big pots and they offer quite a good crop. I did have some pukka terracotta Strawberry planters but this year I threw them out; their time had come!
ReplyDeleteCro, I keep mine in individual 6" pots when they are in fruit brining a certain number of them on from runners each year. This year I had a bit of a clearout and just kept the best plants and was doing well until the fruit just stopped increasing in size from very large peas. I'm giving serious thought to next year already.
DeleteThat chocolate box would have lasted two evenings with me, if that!
ReplyDeleteThis year, we have not bought strawberries as often as in previous years. The ones we did buy from the stall outside the village were expensive and not very tasty. Now it‘s cherry season, but the very dry months of May and June mean that the tree in front of my window carries very little fruit.
Meike, for some reason I have a very strong will when it comes to chocolate. I love it though so if I didn't I'd probably make myself ill.
DeleteThat is the best subsistent meal I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI like that idea, Diane!
DeleteI would have scoffed the chocolates over the course of a few days but of course, you are a lot more civilised than I am!
ReplyDeleteCoffee, chocolate, strawberries and chocolate orange sound perfect for little summer time pick-me-ups or quiet afternoon teas, just lovely!
I am no gardener but the survival strategy sounds right. Sounds like you managed to get quite a decent crop regardless?
Kylie, I am almost alone amongst my friends in being able to limit my chocolate intake. I have always been far more attracted to long term pleasure (ie sucking boiled sweets) rather than instant gratification (ie crunching boiled sweets - which is very annoying for those around as well). The bsurvival strategy does sound logical to me as well.
DeleteI read somewhere that chocolate and strawberries go so well together because they share a couple of chemicals which are essential to flavour. So perhaps I am the only strange person who dislikes the combination?
ReplyDeleteI do, however, share your ability to make chocolate last a very long time.
Thanks, Jayne, for that information. I didn't know but it does seem likely to me.
DeleteWe grew strawberries outside in a small plot when we lived in Virginia and had an outdoor garden. They did very well, if we got to them before any birds or ants. It was rather nice to go out and pick a small bowlful to enjoy with breakfast. Your enjoyment with chocolate sounds delicious even if less healthy, but then maybe not. Kudos to you on making the treats last longer than they would have in our household.
ReplyDeleteBeatrice, I've always loved making Good Things last.
DeleteYou know how to live on the edge Graham - a box of chocolates, a bowl of strawberries and a black coffee in a sophisticated Piggledy mug. Wild!
ReplyDeleteYou know me, YP, I court the adrenalin rush of danger with every move.
DeleteStrawberries took up a large part of the garden when I was growing up. We kids picked them all through May, Mom made jam. Chocolate and strawberries are among the best God gave us.
ReplyDelete