Gizmo, Strawberries are among my favorite things to grow, & I've raised them in my garden (& in containers) for more years than I care to count, so I'm happy to share what I know with you!

Plant your new strawberries now, since you have them. The ideal time for planting strawberries is in the fall, so they can send their roots down before winter & be ready to roll when spring arrives. (I've planted them in the spring too, but they can't go into production until their roots are established.)

Let me see now... I only have a few tips that apply for this time of year. The rest can probably wait for spring, when your plants wake up & start getting busy.

SOIL
I put a lot of sand in the soil where I plant them. (A garden guy on TV says that it makes for sweeter fruit, but I don't know if that's necessarily accurate.) Sand does allow for good drainage though, as strawberries don't like to have their feet wet all the time, & I think it also makes it easier for the roots to spread out, & for the runners to set their roots down early.

PLANTING
NEVER bury the crown of a new plant, or it will smother! If the new plants you have are from runners & don't have roots yet, just push them down into the soil a little bit & keep them moist (but not real wet), so they can send roots down on their own. Plants already having established roots should be planted with the top of the crown above the soil line.

Plant strawberries where they'll get full sun all day long, if possible. If you're still getting a lot of sun & warm weather during the day right now, you might want to shade them for several days after planting.

WINTERIZING
Strawberry beds should be covered over with at least 2" of dried leaves or straw during the Winter months. Strawberries are very hardy, but still need to be protected if you're in an area where the ground freezes in the winter.

By the way, welcome to the forum! There are so many friendly people here, all willing to help each other & share gardening experiences (as well as hobbies, pets, kids, recipies... the list goes on). Our forums are also monitored 24/7, keeping this probably the safest & most comfortable place on the Web.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you, & hearing about what else you have in your gardens. Many of us are always looking for help with our gardens too, so maybe you have some ideas & gardening experiences that you'd care to share with us! (Oh, and we LOVE pictures here!)

Please stop into the New Member forum & introduce yourself... or just jump in on a topic & join our "family"!

Hope to see you again soon... & often!

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Gosh, Snowwolf, that's a new one on me! There are many varieties of strawberries, but I'm only familiar with a few of them, & haven't seen or heard of a type with variegated leaves! I know that temperatures & sun exposure can change the leaf color, but what you describe sounds characteristic of a particular variety.

It sounds lovely! You say that it came from a nursery... I'd be interested to know what type it is, & I'll just bet they can tell you the name of it. When you find out, be sure to come back & tell us ...& see if you can bring a picture of it!

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I don't know why your Sequoias have such interesting leaves, but if they're as happy as you describe, I don't think there should be any cause for concern.

They DO sound pretty... As showy as strawberry plants can be, I'd just love to have your Sequoias in my Strawbery Towers!!


I'd love to see yours! Got pictures?

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Sounds like they need iron chelate.
That's what my lemon tree's leaves looked like until I began dosing with the iron chelate.

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Snow, also cut off the
yellow leaves so that the plant won't waste its energy trying to hang onto itself, so to speak.
I'd try the Miracle Gro-can't hurt.
Since you're in Florida, I don't see a problem, it's not like your plants are going to go dormant, as mine don't.
I often have strawberries in February. The plants seem to just do their own thing here.

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Snow, good drainage is crucial.
Is it possible that the lighter green leaves are just new leaves?
The plants would do OK with just 6 hours of sun each day.
Mine are on my patio in large tubs, getting about 6 hours' sun, and happy as clams. Er, strawberries.

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Well it died, found out why too.
Neighbor told me today that the land lady was out again a few days ago spraying weed killers and the like and stuck the sprayer into the middle of the atrawberry pot. I guess its lucky i planted some of the daughter plants in a seperate pot in a different area. Guess its time to try again. *sigh*

She has in the past caused a considerable amount of damage to my plants. She is under the mistaken impression that anything on the property belongs to her regardless of where it came from. Up to and including the personal items in the apartment and any plants or animals kept outside. A few years ago she butchered a pair of hibiscus I have along my walk,chopped some 2 dozen 3 foot long spikes from both,I was seriously t'd off and called her repeatedly asking where she got the idea she had the right and if I EVER found her messing with my things I would call the cops on her for destruction of private property.

I would call some kind of health types on her.
She cannot just poison your environment like that !!!!!!!
Get a doctor's note or something, if possible.
Renters have rights too !!!!!
Do you have renters' complaint offices there?
This is UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!!!
I'm horrified !!!

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Snow, OK to put you on my prayer list?
This person has no right to poison you or anybody else !!!!

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Snowwolf...
I was sickened & enraged to read what your landlady has done to your plants!

Landlords & tenants are equally involved in a legal contract together, & both are under obligations to respect each others property. Unless there is a stipulation within your rental/lease agreement, prohibiting you from gardening in the area(s) included in the space that you pay for, it is unlawful for your landlord to trespass & destroy your personal property. (You need to know though, that verbal agreements & notices are legally binding, if she has asked you not to grow certain plants or garden in certain areas.)

Although landlords have a right to inspect their rentals, & an obligation to make repairs or do whatever is necessary to maintain the property (killing weeds could be considered maintenance), they only have "Right of Entry" for emergencies (or if your rent hasn't been paid for more than half of a rent payment period). Otherwise, they are required, under a state statute, to give reasonable notice (12 hours in Florida) before entering any space that is considered your domain.

Landlords are also liable for any damage that may occur during their repairs or maintenance work... & that includes killing a tenant's plants, whether it be deliberate OR through negligence!

All states have landlord-tenant laws, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (on state levels), & overseen by each states Department of Consumer Affairs, through their Attorney General offices. You can request a copy of those laws for your state, & obtain complaint forms, by calling your Consumer Protection hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352). I encourage you to do so!

It's a shame that we even need laws to force people to be civil to one-another, but it sounds to me as though your landlady is exactly the type of person who has made such laws necessary! If you take action against her, she may be fined, ordered to replace or reimburse you for the plants she's destroyed, (or in some states, even ordered to waive your rent for a couple months!) ... but she CAN NOT evict you! She could make your life miserable (in sneaky ways that you can't prove) in order to get you to move out, but it doesn't sound like you have a good rapport with her, anyway.

Personally, I wouldn't put a dime in her pocket by renting from her... it's beyond me, why you've put up with her viscousness! (By the way, you're right... prayer can't hurt! While you're at it, pray for HER! There's obviously something terribly wrong with that woman, & she CAN'T be happy inside!)

Good luck with your new plants!

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Financial issues prevent me from getting a new place,so at present Im stuck with my roomie who has been a friend for many years. At the momen his is the only income. As for the lease there is nothing in it dictating that I cant have a garden or add plants within the area of my apartment.(its a double duplex one facing the other in a small quad) and I have planted many plants around the property simply as a means to make the place less a desolate wasteland. I enjoy the sight of green growing things around me as well as the micro environments they provide for insect and animal life. However when I do leave(insert when he** freezes over or I win the lottery lol) ,my green children will be going with me. Since the incident with my hibiscus plants she hadent messed with anything untill the strawberry so I had assumed the situation was under control, guess not. Thanks for the info and concern though good to know Im not alone in being angry for her stupidity and wanton distruction.

*sighs* Found out today an old neighbors ex-boyfriend may also have been partially to blame for the death of the strawberry plant. She believes he may have relieved himself in the plant as a means to get back at her thru me. Ah well again I will simply continue on and hope for the best.

He also stole one of my ripening cantaloupes sometime during the night,one I had intended to give to a friend which necessitated my giving him the other ripe one I had intended to have myself for a late snack. Wouldnt be so angry about it is he had simply asked but he chose to steal it instead.