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First homegrown strawberry!!!

donnellysdogs

donnellysdogs

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Well, I have had my first fully ripe homegrown strawberry....got gooseberries that are so big and early for picking ...not sure whether to pick or let them grow to melon size.....!!! Not bad for wet n windy wales (uk-not Australia).


Nothing to do with diabetes.....but both fruits have 'berries' at the end of the words!!!!!!!and listed amongst loads of postings!!!!!!!
 
We've just finished our first crop, but then I live considerably further south than you. The market has lots of them at the moment, but sadly it's coinciding with the very short lived cherry crop. We left out own one day to late and the birds got them all :( ) we bought some very ripe peaches from Spain the othe day.
what worries me is if there is going to be left for the rest of the Summer season.
 
We dont get many cherry's in Kent any more due to the amount of parakeets that are now officially classified as British birds since their escape from captivity 50 odd years ago. Their are 100s of nesting pairs in a local country park near me and this time of year they wake me up every morning with their squawks whilst they feed on an ornamental cheery tree outside my house.

Their quite funny to watch as they hang upside down off the telephone wires :lol:

parakeet.jpg


A highly cropped photo taken last year from my landing window :)



Do love fresh home grown strawberrys though
 
Wow what a sight that photo is!!!!!! All we get is siskins and sparrowhawks!!!! and Red Kites!!!! They are magic....

Lat year I was having to give our strawberries away, as we had so many. Never thought we could get a fully ripe strawberry in May!!!!!

Got first cucumber 2" long in greenhouse too!!!! So, so pleased as punch....just hope it isn't the end of our summer as this week, we have definitely seen more rain than sun!!!!Got our first flowers too on the sugar snaps and mangetout....

Genuinely think that miraclegro (this may get deleted) had a huge impact last year, and again so far this year.
 
My own attempt at growing strawberry's was unsuccessful and never did try again, I put the netting up to stop the birds but the snails ended up getting in and feasted on them! :(

I love strawberry's and love even more when they are on special offer! :D

Nigel
 
I have self-seeded wild strawberries which are coming on nicely, but I don't get what you could call a crop.

I'm not fussed about fruit most of the time, but I love strawberries, raspberries, apricots, nectarines and greengages. And cherries. My carb intake does go up a bit at this time of year, but I compensate with lots of cream :shock:

Viv 8)
 
I'm going to try that...Viv....do you think the thickest clotted cream will compensate satisfactorily!!!!!LOL!!!!!!

Gosh, it makes me wonder if I should go car booting with my glutinous amounts of strawberries.....I was even fedding 4 builders last year + 2 neighbours + giving them 6lbs of strawberries in one go to make jam....and I never got a pot!!!!!

Think I would be better off doing a market stall or car boot with them all this year.....

What about the gooseberries...they are literally have the size of my thumb now....I know I should pick of small ones to give the big ones a chance..but they are all huge......only recipes I have are gooseberry crumble (too many carbs) and gooseberry fool.....I have never picked them in May before either.....
 
I sell them in the front of my house.
I weight them, put them in containers,price them, put a money box there and rely on the honesty of the public.
Never been let down yet, touch wood and have been doing it for a few years.
No good if you live in the back of beyond though.
 
Yep, pretty much back of beyond...besides people using culd de sac as a turn round point......good point though....that is certainly worth thinking about.....I do know people along route of the main drive through in the village......very good point.....ist strawberry (minus the double thick clotted cream was sooooo goood!!!)
 
catherinecherub said:
I sell them in the front of my house.
I weight them, put them in containers,price them, put a money box there and rely on the honesty of the public.
Never been let down yet, touch wood and have been doing it for a few years.
No good if you live in the back of beyond though.
Click to expand...


These honesty boxes are a great idea, I often buy produce in this way when out in the countryside, I often wonder if people are honest so you have restored my faith, most of the time I over-pay due to lack of change.

Nigel
 
He, he chuckled at this, as I have done exactly the same...would never dream of shortchanging , but over paying yes.....!!! Very helpful point...just wondering how I can do it.....
 
The takings are usually spot on, give or take a few pence.
I have had the odd occasion when someone has asked if their child can use the loo but I wouldn't class that as a problem.
Now that my sons don't live at home, they occasionally arrive if they are short of cash, needing to share a problem etc... I have too much produce for my needs. Runner beans always go quickly as do marrows.
 
Reading this makes me miss our allotment which we gave up shortly after Jess was diagnosed. Jess LOVES strawberries and she used to eat loads whilst I was busy at the allotment. We now have a small tub of strawberries growing at home in the garden but not nearly enough to make more than a light snack. May is very early for strawberries being ripe, I think it was always around June before we were picking them. The ones in our garden are a late variety so they're still green, hope we can beat the slugs to them once they ripen.

Enjoy your strawberries donnellysdogs, and all that lovely cream too :)
 
I love that photo, don't think it was parakeets that stole ours though.
Maybe it was the hoopoes I think that's our most exotic bird.
 
Very jealous...last year we got 4 strawberries....they arrived from July to September. Each one we cut into 4 so everyone could have a try...


green fingers?
Alas not!
 
They aren't prolific in their first year, and the miracle-gro does help.
 
I don't believe they trhive in strawberry pots to be honest.... I've never seen anything especially prolific in the terracotta strawberry pots, because they dry out too fast, and watering isn't easy in the shape of them....might just be my thought on that though....

Compost has definitely changed this year. I buy bags and bags of the stuff as well as making my own. The bought bags texture it so totally different this year, almost woody and fibre- I have tried so many different types and brands of the stuff this year and have been disappointed as they all have a totally different consistency...and are drying out so much..even the ones with supposed water retaining bits in them.
 
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