When to put straw round strawberries?

[SWnewstart]

Novice gardeners - we've been given 16 strawberry plants which are thriving (each has 4-5 fruits ranging in size from a pea to a cherry, but still white/green). When do I need to put straw round the plants? Assume it's to keep the fruit raised off the soil and stop them getting too wet/eaten by slugs etc. But if they are strawed now, won't the straw rot after lots of watering to swell the fruit? Advice please.

I don't know the answer but am watching with interest. Also where do you get the straw?

It’s not necessary to straw up strawberries, in fact many growers say it just harbours slugs and if you are gardening organically then getting hold of organic straw is a challenge. I’ve done mine this year because I had some straw but wouldn’t rush to get straw just to do it in the future.

Yes, once the weight starts to pull them down you need straw. It doesn't rot. Garden centres or pet shops to buy it.

Straw takes ages to break down, years even and the straw is to keep the fruit off the ground to stop the rotting as you say but also to stop the soil from drying out too quickly. Put some down when the fruit starts forming.

I didn't have any straw so have used brown corrugated cardboard (DH's office chair came in a big box)

Is that why strawberries aren’t called strawberries?? 😵

*are

I've grown strawberries in pots, so just shifted the berries so they were hanging over the edge rather than on the soil. Worked fine and have been able to start picking them over the last few days as they've ripened.

I have used a bit of hay, just dried grass from a cut a couple of weeks ago

Will see how it goes. They are ripening nicely the last few days!

@CoronaIsComing I'm glad you said what I was thinking mind blown!!

Also wondering if that’s where the name comes from! 😂

I use strulch. It’s great for keeping the soil moist.
Www.strulch.co.uk

Brilliant info - just what I needed, thank you. We have straw (fresh, clean) from local stables so that will be a job for this afternoon. Also need to get some fine netting now as I just saw a starling nip down and peck a couple of the unripe fruit (and then abandon them on the ground).