Just spent my Xmas money on a table frame thingy for growing strawberries. Has anyone used one and if so are then any varieties that seem to do well? The pictures in the catalogue showed the strawberries hanging down over the edge of the "table" and I wondered if some varieties may be better suited than others e.g. with long stalks. Also has anyone used the hoops to cover the structure with fleece or polythene for earlier crops? How soon could I plant up the growbags - I rooted some cuttings from my allotment plants last year so have plants ready.
Just a bit excited about this new project!
Strawberry tables
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
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valmarg
Looking in catalogues, you can get early, mid season and late varieties.
If you want to force early varieties to get strawberries very early you need to bring plants in to the greenhouse in February, having been exposed to frost.
To grow any strawberries outdoors, in whatever conditions, the absolute essential is netting. You need to make a frame over the plants and cover it with netting.
If you do not bother with this, Mr and Mrs Blackbird/Thrush will beat you to any fruit you may produce.
We have also found that netting is better than fleece, insofar as the air circulates better with netting. With fleece humid air seems to get trapped and you get botrytis, and rotten fruit as a result.
The best advice I can offer is to make sure you have a good cover of netting, high enough so that a bird cannot perch on, and peck the fruit through the netting.
As a result, there is nothing finer than to go out on a warm summer morning and to pick a ripe strawberry from the plant, and eat it! WHOW!!!
If you want to force early varieties to get strawberries very early you need to bring plants in to the greenhouse in February, having been exposed to frost.
To grow any strawberries outdoors, in whatever conditions, the absolute essential is netting. You need to make a frame over the plants and cover it with netting.
If you do not bother with this, Mr and Mrs Blackbird/Thrush will beat you to any fruit you may produce.
We have also found that netting is better than fleece, insofar as the air circulates better with netting. With fleece humid air seems to get trapped and you get botrytis, and rotten fruit as a result.
The best advice I can offer is to make sure you have a good cover of netting, high enough so that a bird cannot perch on, and peck the fruit through the netting.
As a result, there is nothing finer than to go out on a warm summer morning and to pick a ripe strawberry from the plant, and eat it! WHOW!!!
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Becky
Don't assume that because it's off the ground, your strawbs will be safe from slugs - they climb! If the table has feet, try standing each foot in a dish of water - the slugs won't swim across to the legs, and you'll only have birds (and humans) to worry about then. 
Hmmnn - thinking of getting husband to construct soemthing similar, especially to grow woodland strawberries if nothing else. I'm watching with interest!
As for plant protection - I currently grow my strawberries in raised beds with a netted frame over them. Works well. No thiefs or caged birds!
As for plant protection - I currently grow my strawberries in raised beds with a netted frame over them. Works well. No thiefs or caged birds!