By Heidib
Mid Glamorgan,
United Kingdom 
Strawberry patch... renewal?
My new house (2009) had a very big strawberry patch which I have done little with except stick the trailers in and feed periodically. last year was so wet, the strawberries grew but rotted. Is it time for me to take all the old plants up... do something to the soil (compost) and plant new ones? and if so do I lay plastic down and plant through holes. or should I be doing something different. the soil is all uneven and a bit mossy now... this is all very basic to know Im sure, but I'm a true novice. photo of my strawberry patch attached...
27 Apr, 2013
Answers
thanks.. (this was last years photo btw ;) Just about to go and sort them out....
28 Apr, 2013
It takes 2 years for a plant to produce Strawberries, at least a decent crop, they also send out runners from 2+ years. So removing older or weak looking plants should give you a productive patch. I would not remove a productive plant for the sake of it being old - they can be productive for 7-10 years.
28 Apr, 2013
thanks all... I ended up clearing the patch and turning it over, composting it because.. my parents are moving home in the next two weeks and they had a beautiful large standard redcurrant , and so we have (wrong time of year) transplanted it onto the old strawberry patch. (fingers crossed it survives it is a beauty).. I have replanted some of the old plants and also put in new round the bottom. Just about to go and look for straw or collars as suggested.
6 May, 2013
I have a fair sized strawberry patch as well. I just let the plants develope trailers and pull the old plants out when they die off....btw the plants are looking good so far this year.
28 Apr, 2013