Growing Your Own Strawberries

The strawberry is also firm favourite for back garden farmers across the globe. Coming in a range of varieties noted for different subtleties in taste – from the plump Elsanta to the ruby red Honeoye – Strawberries are as popular in the UK as anywhere, and their relative ease of growing means  gardeners regularly grow these delightful fruits throughout the year, providing a good three months of juicy harvests.

Britain isn’t known for rich harvests of back garden fruit, but the strawberry is a happy exception. You can grow strawberries in the ground, containers and even hanging baskets. Strawberries can come in summer fruiting varieties and those which continue to produce fruit all the way through to early autumn. A great many gardens plant a mixture of both, providing a rich yield for an extended period. With home grown strawberries very often tasting great and costing very little besides a little diligence, the decision to turn your border into a tiny fruit farm makes a great deal of sense.

Strawberries can be grown from seed, but as this method takes over a year produce plants big enough to produce fruit, gardeners overwhelmingly opt for small young plants. These are widely available, very cheap and often come in a range of strawberry varieties. As mentioned above, mixing up the summer and late-fruiting varieties (sometimes called ‘everbearers’) that you plant can provide a longer period of happy harvesting.

Choose a plot with well-drained soil and which is sheltered from strong winds. Although excessive frost can damage strawberry plants, (you should prepare accordingly) generally speaking strawberries are hardy and versatile and are able to grow in most soils and locations. One important point to remember is that you must avoid soil which has previously been used to grow potatoes, tomatoes or chrysanthemums, as these are susceptible to a disease called verticillium wilt which is soil borne and can afflict your strawberries. Sunshine is important, so choose a location without much shade. Adding organic material, compost or a general fertiliser to the topsoil can give your strawberries a welcome boost, increasing your chances of a truly rich harvest.

In open ground, strawberries are best planted in holes 35cm apart, with the soli firmed afterwards. If you’re planting in containers or baskets, soak the pot your plants have come in and remove the root ball. Afterwards simply add to the soil and firm in, again taking care not to plant too deep.

Before the strawberries are fully established, watering regularly is quite important as the plants can be very thirsty at this stage. Be sure to water near the base of the plant and avoid drenching the fruit and foliage as this also can lead to rot (you will begin to realise that protecting against rot is probably the single biggest responsibility when it comes to growing strawberries).

Feed in early spring with a general fertiliser. Mulching is not a serious concern with strawberries, although, as mentioned above, organic material in the soil can be very helpful.

When the fruits start to appear, you keep them off the soil. Traditionally, this was done by placing a mat of straw underneath the plant (hence the name!) however today a polythene or otherwise synthetic matting is more commonly used. This will be available wherever strawberry plants have been sold.

Once the strawberries begin to turn from green to red, it’s time to start checking back every day as they ripen quickly. When fully ripe, snip off your strawberries a little way up the stem with a pair of scissors. Keeping the core will allow them to last a little longer. Pick your strawberries at the warmest part of the day, as this will ensure the best taste, and be prepared to eat them within a day or two – strawberries do not keep long and freezing them will distort the shape and flavour.

One of this most prevalent diseases which can affect your strawberries is grey mould. This is a fungal infection which can damage tissue and cause discolouration on both the plant and the fruit. The spores of this disease enter the plant through damaged tissues – where the strawberry has been cut open, for example, so to protect against it be sure to remove any damaged flowers or fruit before it has a chance to become infected. Damp conditions can also encourage this grey mould so, as mentioned above, be sure to only water the base of the plants.