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  | BaAsKa   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 3844
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Topic: need advice on growing strawberries Posted: 19 November 2007 at 4:48pm
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   Wev just put a strawberry plant in the vege garden and got back from camping for the weekend to find some nice red strawberries......FULL OF ANTS!!!!!!       ...what can i do to prevent this????
 Iv grown SBs before but in a pot and i dont recall having this problem!   | 
 
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  | Bombshell   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 6665
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 5:08pm | 
 
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   no idea but i also recommend keeping cats away from them...every time we grow them the cats are caught eating them!!!
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  | BaAsKa   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 3844
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 5:19pm | 
 
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   yeah we have put water bottles all the way around the garden ledge!! not sure if it works though!!
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  | mummy_becks   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 14931
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 6:29pm | 
 
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   You will need to spray then with a bug control. We use one that does all garden bugs (the name I can't quite remember at the moment sorry). If you want to protect them from the birds you will need to cover them right up with netting. | 
 
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     I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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  | BaAsKa   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 3844
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 8:15pm | 
 
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   oh gez! they sound like a hassle to grow! lol
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  | mummy_becks   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 14931
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 8:54pm | 
 
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   It's not that hard, I thought I had a pic of how ours are, but I don't. So i'll take one tomorrow and show you what ours are like.The plants we have in are about 5 years old and have been moved house as well, and still going strong. | 
 
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     I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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  | Bombshell   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 6665
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 19 November 2007 at 9:24pm | 
 
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   much easier to buy 2 punnets for $5 now...or in a few weeks 4 punnets for $5....   | 
 
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  | kezplanet   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Southbridge, Canterbury
 Points: 1120
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 20 November 2007 at 1:09am | 
 
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   if you have them in a pot then the base usually has water in it ie no ants
 We just picked our 1st tiny strawberry yesterday, now need to keep the water up to them and beat the girls to picking them.  no prob with ants down here just birds and children!!
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     Kerryn, Mum to   
Ashlyn(29/3/04), Anastasia(1/11/05) & Abigail (24/02/09)
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  | BaAsKa   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 3844
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 20 November 2007 at 8:42am | 
 
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   thatl be cool to see a photo mummy_becks   hehe bombshell it is easier to buy them...and we do! lol but we planted them for something fun in the garden for Bay and Daddy to do   | 
 
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  | Bizzy   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: New Zealand
 Points: 10974
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 20 November 2007 at 8:46am | 
 
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   if you dont want to spray then you will have to find the ants nest and destroy them from there...
 we dont have ants on ours but trying to get them before the kids and the birds do is nearly impossible...   | 
 
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  | BaAsKa   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 3844
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 20 November 2007 at 8:55am | 
 
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   my son only likes growing them but hates eating them so they are safe from sticky fingers! lol   | 
 
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  | mummy_becks   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 14931
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 20 November 2007 at 10:04pm | 
 
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   Here are the photos of our strawberry patch (don't mind the weeds on the grass I am waiting to mow the lawns) 
 and then close up 
 Hope that helps you. | 
 
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     I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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  | Glow   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 19 February 2007
 Location: Waikato
 Points: 2259
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 21 November 2007 at 8:10am | 
 
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   Nice patch Becks, should get a good yield from that   Around the base of the plant i put hay or a little bit of grass clippings to hold the fruit off the ground & to keep the soil moist & warm
 Unfortunately we never get a decent yield, they are stolen by sticky fingers, and sometimes, they ain't even red!!
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     Mummy of Two BoysB: 2004
 K: 2007
 
 
 
 
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