Strawberries

Strawberries may be grown in most gardens, either in the open ground or in containers.
There are three types of strawberries: summer-fruiting, perpetual-fruiting and alpine.

Strawberries prefer sunny, warm sites, this is giving them the best flavored fruits.
To prolong the fruiting season, you can split the planting. Choose a warm, sheltered position for earliest crops, sunny, open ground for the main crop and less sunny site for late-ripening fruits.

Planting strawberries

The planting time for strawberries depends on your geographical region. In cool-temperate regions late summer to early autumn is the best time to plant strawberries and this will ensure the heaviest crops for next summer.

Plant in fresh ground, where strawberries have not been grown for at least three years. Replace plants every two or three years and grub out and burn old plants nearby to prevent the spread of virus diseases.

Clear all weeds and apply generous amounts of well-rotted farmyard manure. On hungrier sandy or chalky soils rake in a dressing of a balanced fertilizer just before planting.

Space strawberries at 45 cm intervals in slightly raised row 75 cm apart, so rainwater runs off.
Plant with the base of the central crown at soil level, firm in the plants and water well.

Strawberries may also be planted through sheets of black plastic, which smother weeds, retain moisture and encourage early cropping by warming the soil. Anchor the plastic firmly, then make planting slits at the same intervals as for normal planting.

A healthy strawberry produce several runners in a year. If you rooted them into pots, early autumn is the best time to plant them out to form new beds. Water well until established.

Clear up old strawberries beds, remove unwanted runners and hoe between rows.