Total novice. Strawberry plants. Help please!

[RaggieDolls]

I'm a total novice who hasn't grown a tomato or similar since she was little 40 odd years ago. I usually stick to a few bedding plants in pots and keeping the shrubs trimmed in the beds.

My DCs are really keen to grow to grow some things this summer as we are expecting to be home for the foreseeable. Really hoping some kind person will take pity and help me out with some advice on what I need to do.

The local nursery has delivered grow bags, strawberry plants, tomato plants and sunflower seeds.

We've managed to sow the sunflower seeds, they are on a sunny windowsill now. We have been putting the tomato plants on the patio in the day and bringing them in at night. We know it's too cold to plant them yet.

What about the strawberry plants? I thought they were ok in the cold in which case we could plant them this weekend?

Any tips most gratefully received.

Perfectly good question!
Are they bare root strawberries or small plants?
Depending on where you are it might be ok to put them in the ground, particularly if they are bare root. I think you want the ground to be nice and warm when they go in.
Where I am it's a bit chilly at the moment so I would be waiting until it warms up. I did plant my strawberries out about 2 weeks ago because the forecast was for warmer weather. They haven't grown much since then but still alive!
The ones in the conservatory in a pot have grown hugely in that time, so they do really prefer to be warm.

Thanks @TiddleTaddleTat. They are in plant pots with a diameter of about 10cm. They look quite big to me.

We are planning to plant them in pots on the patio so the children can easily water them. I guess that does mean I could bring them in easily enough if there was a late frost.

Typically it has been gorgeous all week here and is now chilly and decided more April-like. I think perhaps I'd best stick to bringing them in at night.

With pots you have more flexibility, so that good. We are still due to continue getting frosts here for another couple of weeks , potentially longer. I have planted them out though! Including those in pots on the patio.

We've had some strawberry plants out in our tiny wooden and plastic greenhouse for about 3 weeks now and they're covered in flowers, keeping an eye out for runners to see if we can get more plants from the existing ones.

We also sowed salad leaf seeds about 3 weeks ago and have a tray full of salad leaves now ready and waiting for the ones in the fridge to be eaten so we can pluck them for fresh salad.

Strawberry plants will be fine in a frost - they usually sit outside all year after all, so I would plant them out now. Tomato plants will die if it frosts overnight so you need to either wait until risk of frost has passed (which will be different depending where you live) www.gardenfocused.co.uk/adjust-dates-england-alphabet.php but probably another couple of weeks. Or you can plant them up but keep and eye on the weather forecast and move them if frost threatens!

My strawberries have been out all winter, and are developing flower buds. Still small, but all ready to go once the weather warms up.