Remember when I was looking for Fairfax Strawberry plants? They CAME today!! (now what?!)

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
Ok, it came, because there is 1.

In case you don't recall I've linked the thread, but I made a request from the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository, which seemed to be the only place left rumored to have them, so I put on my super secret spy hat to pretend I was a cloning lab so I could make the request...then heard nothing more so sorta forgot about it. Till now!

A package showed up today in the mail with one rooted plant, and a couple of brown leaves (I'll post a picture tomorrow when I can take one in daylight), so now what?

Given my whole fall down episode, I have no prepared bed and gardening is a long way away feet wise yet. Do you think I can just put it in a pot for the time being? I've read strawberries should be planted where they will live forever because they spread and that's how you keep them fruiting. I do have 2 "strawberry" pots I was going to try herbs in, but don't know if those really work..

If I pot it, should it go outside through winter or should I keep it indoors or in my sunroom? I'm scared I'm going to kill it! It's still in a baggie with a twist tie it shipped in right now -- should I take it out and put it in water asap? (I opened the bag and misted water on it.)

Thoughts? (I'm so excited, it's like Santa showed up unexpectedly!)

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/yy163/4ebay_bucket/Food/IMG_2247_zps6fa0d191.jpg

http://eat.at/swap/forum1/207572_FRC_Anyone_know_of_a_source_for_Fairfax_Strawberries_to_grow?

 
If you're able, prepare a small spot of soil in your garden and plant it. By the time it starts

sending out runners in spring, you can have the soil around it prepared.

If that is not possible a small pot would be fine to get it started, then you can plant it in spring.

Strawberry jars are cute for when you have lots and lots of extra runners, but they're not very productive and not practical if you want this one to multiply. I plant mine with herbs or flowers.

Congratulations on finding a source! Let us know how it does.

 
Good, a small pot it is...

I don't have a permanent spot in the garden right now, so it needs to be a container. I'd also thought about some window box planters I have as well, but one cutting would look awful lonely in there.

I wish I had more than one plant in case this one dies (the brown leaves have me worried).

I've got a small pot and some organic soil (from a couple of yrs ago) still in a bag, but think I should go get some fresh compost to add to it. Should I go ahead and let it winter outside? I was thinking of putting the pot on my porch. It gets morning sun.

 
I have no ideas about strawberries, but I am excited for you! I remember when you had done the

research and on a hunt to track them down! Please post an update when you have some progress! I will strawberry garden vicariously through you! I tried them once, the squirrels loved them.

 
I got organic potting soil and worm castings. Should I use anything else?

They didn't have organic compost except in the big bags and I'm looking at a 6-inch pot (the old bag I have in the garage may be organic compost, but I'm too tuckered out to go look right now).

 
I think the old soil in the bag would be fine. It won't need any special ingredients to get going

It's not going to grow all that much until spring so it won't need any stimulation, but the roots should grow slowly over the winter.. Don't worry about the brown leaves--that's from shipping. Your porch will be fine. Where you are there should not be any freezes to worry about.

 
We do have the occasional freeze, but expect it would be fine on the covered porch.

Now if I just don't over/under water it maybe it will survive!

 
Thank you, I feel better now b/c I watered it well, then dumped the overflow in the saucer...

I wasn't sure if I should leave it or not, but decided not, so thanks because I wasn't really sure. smileys/smile.gif

I put a lot of worm castings in, almost 50/50 with soil so it looked like it was retaining more water than I wanted, we'll see though because now the "how often should I water it" checking begins...so that meter will come in real handy.

 
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