Your comments and tips

07 Sep 20, clive (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)

I want to start a small "balcony " hydroponic system with approx. 100 plants. My aim is to build a tower system comprising about 5 pvc pipes holding 20 plants each. I will feed the nutrients into the top and circulate pump running 15 mins on and 15 mins off. Do you recommend I use a indeterminate variety and if so what variety. Can I buy root stock in South Africa or should I start from seed. I plan to plant into rockwool in net cups- would you agree? I recently purchased a Tarpan plant at our Builders store which I plan to use the runners in spanghnum moss until they root and plant these into rockwool however, it will hardly be enough to setup 100 plants. My long term plan is to do this commercially once I know what I'm doing. I look forward to your advice. Thank you in advance, Clive

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09 Sep 20, Anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

I suggest you seek advice from an agricultural department in your country or hydroponics people.

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17 Aug 20, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

My rootstock strawberries have produced flowers. I read I should deflower for the first season to strengthen the root system. Since I live in a sub-tropical climate, when should I stop deflowering?

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16 Jan 21, Zyllas (Australia - temperate climate)

Most they will not make them flower and runner for another 6 mos straight since they want the plant to focus on growing not reproducing. They prefer the stem/crown atleast thickness of our pinky or ring finger by then if you let it flower it will give you dozen since plant are mature enough for reproduction. Some people let 1 runner at a time while plants is bearing ofcourse you need to provide fertiliser to support the whole process like NPK 20-20-20 and cacium nitrate

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19 Aug 20, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)

I'm sub-tropical (Bundaberg) and strawberries are grown commercially here. They plant new stock each year in first week of April -depends on temperature soil/air. They start picking strawberries in late June. It is probably the height of the picking season now. The deflowering sounds like rubbish to me. Commercial growers only pick one crop and then plough out. Home gardens can pick off the same plants for 2-3 years and then you require new stock again. If you do this then you have to contend with the old plants sending out new runners each year.

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04 Oct 22, Veronica (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi, with respect to your comment about the commercial growers ploughing the crops back in at the end of the season, do you have any idea where they get the next year's "seedlings" from? Many thanks

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30 Oct 22, Bernie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I got my initial supply of runners from Sweet Strawberry Runners in the Stanthorpe area. I purchased 25 runners and now have 60 plants. I grow then as a green wall in three rows of 20 pots. Each year I discard the bottom row and then move the others down one row and plant new runner to form the top row. This way you replace your plants every three years and you never forget which plants to discard. As for deflowering, that is garbage. I get beautifully sweet berries from my first year crop. You maybe a bit late to start now but if you contact Sweet Runners they will let you know what varieties are growing and when they will be ready . Good luck and happy eating.

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22 Aug 20, Deborah (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Thankyou

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03 Sep 20, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Talked to a grower last week and they plant mid March (St Paddy's Day) and are starting to pick fruit 8 weeks later.

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01 Jun 20, Donna (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Hi. I have flowers in late May/June just going into winter on my Camarosas. I planted in summer last year and got very little fruit. The plants are now in their second year. Should II pick those flowers off? Thanks

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