Both pots were started at the same time from the same batch of strawberry starts. They should have the same soil box. Both grew vigorously last spring/summer and got visited by deer in the fall. Both bounced back pretty well before winter set in. The left pot is very happy, the right… Not so much. I do recall the big pot having quite a bit of wilted leaf cover all winter, but don’t think that was the case for the pot on the right. Maybe I didn’t notice a late in the season deer visit that set the small pot back? Maybe the smaller pot got just enough colder than the big pot to kill some roots? Any other theories?
How cold does it get over winter? The smaller, shallower container with less leaf cover may have been winter killed. Alternatively, with the dark plastic, it may be heating up and drying out faster now that it is spring. Does the soil feel dryer in it quicker or anything?
I really didn’t water these plants last year and this spring we’ve had plenty of rain. We’re zone 6, but the not as deep, and much less wide, pot might have resulted in a winter kill. That or me missing a deer visit are the two most probably causes in my mind, I just wanted to see if there might be something I’m overlooking. I will be adding some more drain holes to the black pot and remove the built in drip tray too.
I don’t have a lot of expertise in this area, but if the only difference is the type of container maybe that has something to do with it? Does one have better drainage than the other possibly?
I agree on it probably being container or deer related. The big metal one just has some holes drilled in the bottom. The black one is as it was purchased. Maybe I should pull the built on saucer off and drill some more holes.
without drainage it molds on the bottom.
Is a cat sleeping on your starts? One of our boxes just wouldn’t grow and we were mystified, until we caught our cat sleeping there one afternoon.
Haha! This is possible (we brought a backyard cat into our house as a kitten whose mom never came back for her and she turned out to be the best cat ever), but all our cats are indoor cats and they like to grumble whenever we get an occasional visit from a neighbor’s cat.
Leaves are awesome mulch for keeping things warm in winter, but that is a very dramatic difference!
How hot and sunny is it? Could the black plastic pot get hot enough to harm roots, while the steel one would reflect more light and stay cooler?
We’re zone 6a, so not that hot. They’re in a spot that gets full sun for most of the day (morning and evening shadows, direct sun when the sun is hight in the sky. Last year both pots thrived, but only the larger metal pot really came back post winter.
Do you see any stems with missing leaves? The main difference I see is the netting on the metal pot. So maybe there’s some grazing pressure?
Haha, grazing pressure. When the deer visited last fall I noticed they also cleanly cut off everything. I ran out of things to hang the netting on last season, but will have to rectify that soon.
Have you moved them recently? Could be they just aren’t getting the same sun
Nope, they’ve both been in the same spot for the past year or so. The bigger pot does get a touch more sun, but they were both doing great last year.
Too much mulch.
Good idea. I’ll have to double check the quantity in there tomrrow. I don’t think we’re past that amount, but I could be wrong.
You could also be low on N, or it’s not getting enough moisture. Wood/lots of organic matter and things suck up N or go hydrophobic
