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sainttoff Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 04 Feb 2010 Posts: 40 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:28 am Post subject: Whats eating my strawberries?? |
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Hi;
I have a raised veggie patch and a pollytunnel on top of them. My strawberries are starting to go red but something is eating them. Its just at the top of the strawberry attach to the plant?
I have slug pellets down, any ideas on what it is and how to stop it?
Thanks
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tunnelsofhens10 Rank attained: Rowan Tree


Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 146 Location: Longford
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like slugs, Could be anything, put some straw around the plants, keeping the strawberrys off the soil. I did and have no problems.
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The Garden Shop Rank attained: Rowan Tree


Joined: 05 Aug 2011 Posts: 133 Location: Laois
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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Slugs generally leave large craters in your strawberries and can attack any part of the fruit
It is possible that whats causing the damage is a grey mould. This fungus can attack the tops of fruits and will quickly destroy the fruit.
Can you see signs of the fruits rotting? or the fruits turning brown at the top?
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sainttoff Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 04 Feb 2010 Posts: 40 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:11 am Post subject: |
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I see no signs of the fruit rottening anywhere. Where would i get straw in Dublin?
Thanks
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doctor greenthumb Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 9 Location: ireland
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:31 am Post subject: straw in dublin |
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Try a pet store they would have straw for rabbits and such..
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inishindie Rank attained: Tree plantation keeper

Joined: 27 May 2007 Posts: 563 Location: inishowen Ireland
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 11:47 am Post subject: |
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How about drying some cut grass in the sun then laying that under the strawberries? Might work and would save a trip to the shops...
_________________ if you are interested in raised vegetable beds and veggie growing I have a new website - raisedbeds.net We're busy on social networking too and have over 12,000 members in the group. |
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sainttoff Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 04 Feb 2010 Posts: 40 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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Please find 2 photos i took on my phone of the strawberries.
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dormouse Rank attained: Rowan Tree

Joined: 05 Oct 2011 Posts: 140 Location: North Dublin
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Where should we start looking?
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sirpsycho Rank attained: Pedunculate oak tree
Joined: 15 Mar 2010 Posts: 341 Location: Stamullen, Co Meath
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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Try and get out when it's dark and see if it's the slugs. Any slug trails around?
Is the tunnel closed in? If there's a gap it might be a bird. It's always one or the other with my strawberries. Speaking of which, they are really poor this year. lotsa berries but they are lacking sun bigtime.
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Dirt Digger Rank attained: Hawthorn Tree


Joined: 03 May 2012 Posts: 87 Location: Raheny, Dublin 5
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 11:37 am Post subject: |
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sainttoff, slugs may well be your problem, but if you thinks you've got problems picture this; I am one of those who acquired a small allotment in St Anne's Park last year. We have some amount of established wildlife to contend with, and on Saturday evening after it had dried up a bit I headed down to do a little tidying, and myself and one of my fellow plotters spot this grey squirrel munching on some on my strawberries, Cambridge Pines, so still green, and we clapped our hands to scare him off but he mistook it for a round of applause and nonchalantly grabs another big green beaut before bounding over the wall. generally I don't bother netting till things start to ripen fast, but I've suddenly changed tack...
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tippben Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 15 Jan 2011 Posts: 921 Location: north tipperary
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Buy an air rifle Dirt Digger. Then you can have squirrel kebabs with strawberry dipping sauce. They taste nice, but are a bugger to skin.
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AJ Rank attained: Ash Tree

Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 218 Location: West Cork
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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Was going to post this topic this eve. Same question, what eating my strawberies.
A few pictures below.
Ok I see there is a slug in there. but he seems to be having a kip. Previous ones eaten have a little blak insect crawling around inside.
Have i too much straw in the bed.
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marlin vs Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 10 Location: Waterford, Ireland.
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Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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I had the same problem with my strawberries and removed my straw as it was a haven for the slugs with this damp weather,problem fixed as their hiding place is gone.
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badfarmer Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 32
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:55 pm Post subject: What's eating my strawberries |
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I have the same problem. Covered them with a fine net, laid out plentiful sluc pellets and still I find lovely big ripe ones nibbled at.
I even placed small sheets of plastic under the berries as they grew bigger and started to ripen. No effing good. At this stage I feel like digging the lot up in desperation.
They are set on flat ground beside a wall. BTW
HELP
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dormouse Rank attained: Rowan Tree

Joined: 05 Oct 2011 Posts: 140 Location: North Dublin
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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A nightly patrol with a torch and a scissors is a good way to knock them back.
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