heres pictures
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=strawberry+plant

* * * *





Summer Camp '07, July 14th weekend, won't you join us?
summer camp thread 1, 2, 3,4

Here's a picture of my strawberry patch. Some are standing straight up and others are close to the ground.



* * * *
John - Zone 6

Nicky, I've been raising Everbearing Strawberries for longer then I can remember, but I do believe that all Strawberry plants have the same characteristics & care requirements. I'd like to share with you, what I've noticed about them over the years.

You asked if the leaves are supposed to "start falling to the soil or stand up high"... I guess the best answer is that just like people, some are on short stems & some are on tall stems! Also, some days my plants will stand up tall, & other days they're just sitting there... & I don't know why! (Maybe they have "moods" too!) Of course, the real short stemmed leaves have no choice but to be happy at "ground level".

About the runners... runners DON'T come from the leaves, nor do the leaves turn into runners.
Here are a few photos of Strawberry runners:


Mind you, runners come in ALL lengths. Some take off & go half way across the garden (like these 2 seem to intend) & some are very short, & stay close to the plant (I don't know why that is, either... probably more of the same thing, like short & tall people, for all I know!)


Notice that the runners look nearly identical to the stems... but, instead of forming leaves, the "stem" will produce little buds which will become the "crown" of the new plant.


Here, you can see the beginning leaves of new plants forming from the crowns off the runners. Many runners, regardless of length, will only produce one crown for a new plant. Likewise, many runners, regardless of length, will produce several crowns along the stem (as seen on the runner in the foreground). I have had runners with as many as 6 crowns on them.

New Strawberry plants will continue to feed from the mother plant, through the runner, until it finds a place suitable to send roots down of its own. Some crowns will start to form roots even without being near soil (As in runners that hang down from a planter), but will eventually die off if not removed & allowed to root into soil somewhere. They will, however, continue to feed from the host plant as long as a healthy runner remains attached.

When planting a new Strawberry plant, it is very important not to cover the crown with soil. The crown sits on top of the dirt & sends roots downward. Covering the crown will smother & kill the plant.

Your Strawberry plant may not send a runner out until later in the season, or perhaps not at all, this year. The runner-producing plant in the photos above is using it's energy to produce a runner (I don't know what determines that), so it probably will not produce any berries this year... unless I snip those runners off & allow it to start over again.

About watering Strawberries.... Good drainage & LOTS of water are essential for healthy plants & good production. While the fruit is forming, draught conditions may cause the fruit to malform (which makes for some pretty bizarre Strawberry shapes, but isn't good for the plant, or the flavor & texture of the fruit.) The only time Strawberries can be OVERwatered is when they sit in water for a long perios of time. They do like (and use) lots of water, but they don't appreciate soggy feet!

It has been my experience that picking off the first flowers of the season will force energy back into the plant & cause a better berry yield throughout the growing season. (Normally, where I live, when the plant first produces flowers it's too cool outside for the bugs to be present for pollination anyway, so the plant uses energy for nothing but a flower... which dies off without making a berry.) It's hard to "waste" a flower after waiting all winter for something to bloom, but you (and your plant) will be happier with the results, later!

The plants in the photo that John posted are, I believe, "June bearers", & that's why our plants may look a bit different. (My plants are also much closer together, as it's an old, established bed, with many 1st, 2nd & 3rd year old plants... desperately in need of thinning, to remove the old, non-productive ones.) June bearers have larger, more stately-looking leaves then Ever bearers, and also produce larger berries.

Here is more information (& tips) about my Strawberries, if you care to take a look. I'm also around here pretty often, so I'll check back to see if you have more questions that I might be able to help you with.

Good luck with your berries this year, & happy gardening!

* * * *

Thank you

I keep looking at that plant because I have had it for about 3 months now and it hasn't even gotten any flowers strange little thing. Out of all my other plants watermelon, peppers, and tomatoe thats the only one that seems to have a problem getting flowers. So I bought another one the other day to see if maybe it is just were I planted it. So far that one has not gotten any either, but I have only had that (new one) for about 2 weeks at the most. Lets see what happens!
Mines are everbearing strawberries also Patty.
John and Patty I love you pic of your strawberries plant. I wish mine could at least get flowers or grow taller wider anything .

Again thank you very much all of you this is very helpful. I will print this and keep it with the rest of my gardening things.

Thank you,
Nicky

* * * *
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j184/ladyk24/

I sit in my vegetable garden so that I can see them grow.

I,m from San Antonio, Texas zone 9b.
I have one planted in a bed and the other one I had to,put it in a containter. This is my first year gardening and boy did I make a lot of mistakes. I can not even begin to tell you how many so far I lost count . And yes they are like teenagers. I do not have kids, but I have younger brothers and sisters so I know a little bit about that not to much since how they do not live with me.

I could not plant them together since how the bed one was planted first. I wish I had the space to put the other one there, but I can't.

I will add my pic's of the one I did not take any of the new one yet.
Thank you,
Nicky

* * * *
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j184/ladyk24/

I sit in my vegetable garden so that I can see them grow.

I added my tomatoe plant also because the blue container is were the other strawberry plant is

* * * *
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j184/ladyk24/

I sit in my vegetable garden so that I can see them grow.

Yeah, Patty that is one of my tomatoe plants the patio one had died at least I thought it did so I put in another blue container and planted peppers on top well remind me next year not to do something stupied like that please . I did not know they could grow back. So right now I have 4 pepper plants and 1 tomatoe plant in there. I am wating for the pepper plants to get bigger and stronger so that I can move them hopefully. Thank you very muc for all this info I am so happy that I can ask someone about this. You see my grandmother use to grow stuff she grow up on a farm. She passed away a few years back so I have no one to ask questions about gardening. My mom thinks I am crazy she calls me country girl, but I love growing things at least trying to . So hopefully next year my plan is to have 3 beds= 1 with tomatoes, 1 herbs, and the last one peppers I am going to do what you did have strawberries containers off the ground and maybe make some wheel barrels along side the 3 beds. I can grow I lot of stuff from seeds,but runners well now that I have your page to print out I will be looking into that so that I can have strawberries plants without having to buy them every year. Thank you very much for your help.

Lets see what happens with these babies.
I also can't wait tell next year sometime this year I will be digging as soon as I get time. I can't wait. Boy do I love gardening .
Again thank you,
Nicky

* * * *
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j184/ladyk24/

I sit in my vegetable garden so that I can see them grow.