Strawberry Home grown strawberries, ripened to perfection in the sun, have a taste that’s incomparable to those bought in plastic punnets and best of all, there’s over 50 fantastic varieties to choose from.
Different types of strawberry
Strawberries are split into two groups based on when the berries appear. Most are summer-fruiting varieties, which usually have a single, heavy flush of fruit anytime from late May to the end of August. The second group are known as everbearers or perpetual strawberries - these produce their first berries in June and then continue to fruit on and off lightly into the autumn.
Planting
This fruit thrives in a sunny position with well drained, fertile soil. Dig lots of garden compost, leaf mould or well rotted manure into the ground before planting, then space plants 45cm apart with 90cm between rows.
Growing in a pot
Strawberries will thrive in 20cm plastic pots filled with multi-purpose compost. Alternatively, plant six in a growing bag.
Looking after them
After planting, scatter a general fertiliser around plants. Water regularly, especially during warm, dry weather.
When flowers appear, spread special strawberry mats, barley straw or black polythene around plants to help keep fruit clean and to suppress weeds.
Protect fruit from birds by laying a sheet of anti-bird netting over the plants or by placing a low cage, clad with netting, over the crop.
Harvesting and aftercare
Pick berries when they are completely red and ripe, pinching through the stalks with your thumb and forefinger. After harvesting summer-fruiting varieties, cut back tatty foliage to leave a cluster of undamaged foliage at the centre of the plant. Remove and pot up any runners to make more new plants for next year. In late winter, remove any leaves that have been damaged by the weather.
With care, summer-fruiting plants will provide you with fruit for four years. However, everbearers are best replaced annually.
What variety?
- 'Elsanta'- summer fruiting, heavy crops
- 'Honeoye' – summer fruiting, large, bright red fruit
- 'Marshmello' – summer fruiting, very sweet berries
- 'Aromel' – everbearer, dark red fruit
- 'Viva Rosa' – everbearer, attractive pink flowers
- 'Mara des Bois'- everbearer, tasty fruit from July to October
For more creative ideas on how to grow vegetables and fruit in the garden, check out Martyn's new book, Big Gardens in Small Spaces: Out-of-the-Box Advice For Boxed-in Gardeners (£18.99, Timber Press), buy this book at a discount from Saga Bookshop.