How to grow your own strawberries

This has been a great year for strawberries so they are plentiful in the supermarkets and shops. That shouldn’t put you off growing your own though.

Where to grow

Strawberries can be grown in all soils  from light sand to heavy clay.  The perfect soil is well-drained and rich in humus. If strawberries are in waterlogged soil they can rot away. They like full sun, protected from the wind. If you are lucky enough to have space for a full strawberry bed, remember you will need to move it for crop rotation after a couple of years (see below)

If you don’t have lots of space you can grow your berries in a container. Go for a special strawberry container as these ensure the right drainage – as well as looking very attractive. Alternatively you can grow them in hanging baskets, which look attractive, keep the plants safe from slugs and avoid the need for straw on the ground.

We’ve found these strawberry containers at gonegardening.com – we think they’re very good as they hold a substantial crop and also come with their own strawberry net to keep pests and birds at bay. They’re in a Victorian style and are made from polypropylene with a terracotta finish so they are light and easy to move around.

Gone gardening also has some pop-up strawberry planters, that are a lot cheaper, if somewhat less elegant! They are basically a large green bag with eight planting pockets.

When to grow

Strawberry plants can be planted outside from late June until September. If you plant late, the flowers should be removed in the first year so the energy is used to develop a healthy plant for year two.

How to grow

1. Prepare the soil ready for planting, by digging it over well, making sure to get rid of any weeds and adding compost or manure.
2. If you want a whole strawberry plot you should plant in rows. Plant your strawberry plants about a foot apart (35cm) in each row, with about double that space between the rows.
3. Make sure the plant has its crown at soil level. Water each plant in well.
4. To keep the slugs at bay spread broken egg shells under each plant or use anti-slug pellets.  The plant gets its name from the requirement to spread straw between the plants to suppress weeds and stop the fruit lying on the soil. If you can’t get hold of straw, use binbags.
5. To keep birds and animals at bay it’s a good idea to cover the bed with nets.

Your strawberry plants can keep producing fruit for 5-6 years, but the yields will drop dramatically after a couple of years andthe plants can become vulnerable to pests and diseases. For this reason strawberry beds should usually be cleared  out and new ones planted in a different area of the garden.

>> How to make strawberry jam

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