The garden strawberry is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria, collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness.
Top Tips
Sow from early spring in seed trays using coir/peat or seedling mix.
The seed is very small so cover lightly, press down and keep moist.
Be patient as germinations takes up to 3 weeks.
After about 8 weeks or when they are large enough to handle, the seedlings are ready to be planted out.
Plant the strawberries in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil and spaced 35cm away from each other.
Keep the plants well-watered, particularly if they are potted up and feed every 2 weeks with a liquid fertiliser.
To keep your plants neat, remove the runners from time to time. These can be planted in other parts of the garden.
As the fruits develop, place dry straw or mulching material underneath them to stop to ensure unblemished fruit.
If you have a healthy and hungry bird population in your area, it’s a good idea to put netting over the young fruit.
Strawberries are ready to harvest as soon as they turn red and are slightly firm to the touch.
When harvesting, cut, rather than pull, the berries off at the stem.
For those with a sweet tooth, the Dutch put a little powdered sugar on strawberries to make them taste even better.
Once the growing season is over, cut the foliage back and mulch around the plants.
