Strawberry growers; help please

jen74145 · #1 04/26/12, 08:48 PM

This is the first year my crowns haven't just witheered and died, so I'm a novice.

I have several plants in a raised bed; quinalts and Berries Galore. The Quinaults are starting to ripen. Trouble is, every berry is stunted and shaped strangely. I'm used to "real" strawberries, rather than the large ones from the store, but mine are still much smaller than the usual farmstand fare.

The BGs are a bit behind the quinalts, so if this is something I can correct, please tell me. I have dozens of sad, deformed berries; beautifully red, but that's it.

I haven't seen any pests, FWIW. Thank you!

eclipchic · #2 04/26/12, 08:55 PM

sounds like Tarnished Plant bugs- they inject a toxin that causes fruit deformities (reading this from my Organic Gardener's Handbook for Disease and Pest Control)

check out this link and see if that looks about right. Looks like prevention is clearing away the plant tops for winter and pyrethrin spray as a last resort when the plants are flowering. Row covers help too.

Crops | Insects | Tarnished Plant Bug II | Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives | Province of Manitoba

Jeffery · #3 05/05/12, 09:52 PM

Strawberries are shallow rooted, must be mulched or watered frequently. Fruits could become deformed from moisture deficiency.

mom2hancjhe · #4 05/06/12, 08:19 AM

Does it take a few years for the fruit to become larger overall?

Raven12 · #5 05/06/12, 08:48 AM

I was reading that the buds should be clipped in order to promote fuller growth and more fruit later in the season. Is that true? This is the first time I have grown strawberries up North.

Paquebot · #6 05/06/12, 10:42 AM

Size of fruit is determined by genetics. That is, a second-year plant will produce the same size as the first year. I had Galore for 4 or 5 years and we really liked them except that they tended to become crowded very quickly with their huge foliage and runners. However, they were also growing in very rich soil.

Martin