We thought the only problem with table top strawberries was that they were at the right height for the deer to eat the leaves. However, the cold weather has shown that they are very prone to frost damage. Stuck up on the tables, cold air can circulate round the strawberry bags and there is little protection. Over 80% of table top strawberries have been killed by the frost in some areas.
table top Elsanta strawberries
Table top strawberries have proved to be pest free – slugs cannot climb up to the table tops, & fungi do not like to be in such an exposed position!
Not having to bend to pick the strawberries is an added bonus.
TableTopStrawberries
The strawberry variety nearest the camera is Darsilette. This is an early variety. The other variety, Darselect, is a mid-season, main-crop
strawberry.
The cold-stored strawberry plants arrived with good roots and crowns, but no leaves. As soon as they were planted into warm, moist peat they
started to produce leaves. They have been kept moist and sprayed with soluble feed. In the six weeks they have been growing they have been
de-flowered twice. They should produce a 60-70% yield next season.
But there are problems with table top strawberries!