Strawberries

[Primrose]

I need to dig up my strawberry bed as the plants are about 5 years old now and yields are now reducing.
Previously all my plants have cropped in early summer. I'd like to split my new plants between June & later-summer yielding varieties.
Can anybody give me some suggestions please? I'm more interested in flavour than size.

[Geoff]

I've had excellent results with Symphony.

[DiG]

Hi Primrose.
The two varieties I grow are 'Elan' and 'Mara de Bois' both of which have a lovely flavour. The 'Mara de Bois' has smaller fruit than the 'Elan'. 'Elan' plants are very vigorous and also very heavier croppers (for me). They are the childrens' favourite. I havn't seen them in any of the catalogues, although I have seen seed advertised from Nickys Nursery. I picked up mine from a garden centre sale some years ago and the ones I have now are second generation runners.

Both varieties are everbearers giving fruit from early July through to October - although the bulk comes mid August.

Regards, Diane

[FredFromOssett]

I can strongly recommend Marshmarvel (from Marshalls). These deliver on both flavour and size, and crop heavily. They have the benefit of producing 2 crops in a season. Last year I cropped from mid May to late June and then again from mid August until mid/late October. The earlier crop was the heavier, with the late crop only brought to a halt by the berries no longer ripening fully due to colder,wetter weather and less sunshine.
The plants were originally received from Marshalls in December 2009 but did not get into the ground until March 2010 due to the hard winter, by which time I had doubts as to their chances of survival, but they even produced a reasonable crop from mid June to early July in their first year.
I rate them as one of the best flavoured varieties I have grown, and recommend them wholeheartedly.

[glallotments]

Another vote for Marshmarvel and also we love Marshmello. We also grew Flamenco last year (an everbearer) which was very good.

[FredFromOssett]

I'm glad your Flamenco performed well; mine have just been consigned to the compost heap. They were due to come out anyway having been in for 5 years, but mine never grew or cropped well, and those berries that did grow seemed to attract slugs and little white worms far more than any other variety. Good luck with future crops.

[glallotments]

Ours were newly planted this year. We had some before that didn't do very well but these came in a selection so we gave them another try. They were in better ground. Maybe lucky in that it was so dry last year that the slugs weren't in evidence. Did the white worms have pink spots. I have some pictures and video here
http://glallotments.blogspot.com/2010/10/snakes-on-plot.html

The reason I ask is suddenly people seem to be noticing these things - I know of one person who has had them in strawberries. Just wondered how long they had actually been around. They're spotted snake millipedes anyone else seen any?

[FredFromOssett]

They were clusters of tiny worms about 8-10mm long and about 1/2mm thick which burrowed into the flesh of the strawberries. I don't know whether they had pink spots as I did not examine them really close up, and certainly not with a lens. I think they may have been a bit smaller than the ones you show, but they may, of course, have been more juvenile. If I suffer any more I shall have a closer look. Any ideas on their eradication?

[glallotments]

The 'worms' were very small Fred. The video maybe shows the size better. Must admit I only noticed the spots when I looked at the photo.

As for getting rid of them I don't see enough to worry too much and they are only supposed to take over holes that slugs have already made.