Two questions - one raspberry, one strawberry-related!

[bondgirl77]

Hi I'm a beginner gardener and veg/fruit grower this year.

I received my plug strawberry plants the other week and planted them in those planters. What is the deal with watering them? Do you just water and water from the top until the lower ones feel damp? Will that over-water the top one? I think I've let the lower ones dry out a bit.

Also, I planted raspberry canes about 5 weeks ago, and one is not showing any leaves or shoots around it, can I assume that it is lifeless?

thanks!

Raspberries are better planted in winter when they are dormant - and do not plant them too deep. They like leaf-mould type soil , as you would get at the edge of a wood.

Strawbs: I'd just keep them damp - I've grown them in 4 pint plastic milk bottles with the tops cut off before - they did fine!

I used a tip from an American web site. Burrow a water bottle (with holes punched in it)down into the middle of the soil in the planter thingy and then take the top of the bottle and pour water into it - then it leaks water out all the way down.

Thanks both! TracyK what a brilliant idea, maybe I should re-pot...

I do something similar with the strawberries. I put an old bird feeder (but any long thing thing with holes in it would do) down the middle and filled it with gravel. I water the gravel and it lets water seep down the whole way down. All seem healthy enough so far....