Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am growing strawberries ATM... i was wondering why not all the flowers turn into fruit. Is this because they are males? or because they are not polonated properly?

If they aren't polonated properly how do i make sure they are polonated properly?

Some suggest using a soft paint brush or toothbrush. Ell was talking about sticking the flowers together for plants like pumkins... would the same work for strawberries?
Does anyone have any ideas for growing bigger strawberries?

My strawberries started as one plan then now from that one i have 5 new ones. They are spreding acros all my growbeds at an alaming rate. When i make my new larger aquaponics area i plan to have much more room for my strawberries. Is it better to keep them all fairly close together or is it much better for them if they are really spred out?


Thanks CC

Strawberries need a bit of air circulation to keep from rotting out, and I think that would be particularly important in an AP system. I would vote for spacing them out a little and making sure you remove dead leaves promptly.

If the bees are not on top of their game for you, you may need to assist with a small paintbrush. All strawberry flowers are both male and female. Ell's suggestion works nicely if you have separate male and female blossoms as you do in pumpkins. You pluck the male blossom off the plant, strip the petals, and use the pollen-covered stamen as your paintbrush to cover the females pistel with pollen. For strawberries, each blossom you pick to use as a paintbrush means one less strawberry, so using an actual paintbrush will save the flowers. Using an actual paintbrush also means that you don't rish damaging the blossoms by bending them around to paint each other.

Bigger fruit -- if the plants are young, they may be trying to set more fruit than the plant can truly support. Clip a few blossoms off each plant so it concentrates on making fewer but larger fruits. Of course, if you're doing this, you could use the clipped flowers as paintbrushes.

Thank you very much! I will certainly do that!!

i'm not an authority or anything, but when every any of my plants have flowers get my finger, rub one of them till i get "flower dust" on my fingi and then rub all the other flowers Don't know if its actually doing anything, but i always get pretty much all my flowers turning into fruit

Yes that certainly seems reasonable. I will do both ideas.

i use a cotton bud

Hi Chockie!

Um ... here in Perth .. late to warm up ... Bees are not buzzing and doing the pollination job as much as they usully do! Too Cold for them!

So ...

Patient .. or paintbrush!

Just have fun .. when the weather warms up a little . They will do the job for you!



OMG

Flower Sex!



EeeeeeWwwOoooo

BTW ..

Ur teacher is a Nutter!

I have your IP address :wagging finger:

Well.. I agree..in a way... We all are... I'm certainly becoming one fast

Maybe U have to be a little crazy to become a aquaponic addict , like your teacher...

maybe thinking of becoming a science teacher in the future or unfortunate enough to become a pupil of AP addicted teachers, like me, and your teacher! (We are Nutcase "Role models!")

(Absolute Nutters!)

We are really weird guys who think that Fish poop can somehow ... do something for the planet!

If enough weird guys like your teacher had a little more freedom to try things out ... more freedom to teach .. I think we could help ourselves and friends in developing counties ...

I think you are lucky to have a teacher who trys things...

OK .. Go for it!

maybe us AP people are the sane ones?

i know everyone around me everyday, are absolutely off there rocker, and i am the only sane one. maybe I'm the only one who thinks that, maybe everyone else thinks that to, i think i might be the insane one.

ooo well, as long i think that i am sane, well all be good.

-df

HAHA -- I'm glad to have an AP teacher like AM
!!!!!!!!!!

My system wouldn't have gone half as well without him!

And -- I reckon your right! Us AP people are the sane ones After all everyone else is too crazy, trying to kill the planet, where as we are saving it.... We are sane
Chockie

hey CC, I feel your pain! I've been waiting a week for my first
really big strawberry to ripen. Last night the possum got into the greenhouse
and ate it! Nothing left except the unripe part and teethmarks

You sure it wasn't Stu (gone feral) on a city visit.