There’s nothing like a homegrown strawberry that has been left on the bush to achieve perfect ripeness.    The smell of a really ripe strawberry, well there’s nothing like it really.

Strawberries are exceptionally easy to grow all they need is a good sunny site and you’re sure to be successful.  Set out below are a few tips that have helped me grow loads and loads of strawberries.

PLANTING:

• Whether planting a strawberry from a bundle of bare root plants or whether from a pot you must ensure that the crown of the strawberry is above the soil and not submerged.  Submerged crowns will rot.
• They should be planted at least 30cm apart.  I prefer 40cm when I can.
• Incorporate some sheep pellets and a good compost into the hole.  I use Daltons Garden mix as it contains the right amount of both plus some fertiliser to get them going.
• They need good drainage otherwise your young plants will rot over winter.
• If you can – place some mulch around the plants in spring to keep those berries clean and dry.  Straw is ideal.
• Take off the first flowers produced in winter so they put their energy into growing a bigger plant first.
• In early spring you can let them flower but take off any runners that appear as these will take the plant’s energy too and you want fruit, not runners.
• Feed your strawberries every couple of months to keep them fruiting heavily.  Use a specific strawberry fertiliser.
• In summer cover with some netting so that you can leave your berries on to ripen fully without the birds taking them.
• Strawberries produce well for two years and then should be replaced with new plants.  I renew half mine every year giving me some older plants that will fruit earliest and younger plants that will fruit into late autumn.
• Do not split your plants and use divisions they are prone to disease.

Enjoy your strawberries from December – May!