When to plant strawberries
The best time to start planting strawberries is in the middle of March. However, you can still grow them successfully up until the end of April.
Top Tips
- Use multi-purpose compost if you’ve used containers or hanging baskets.
- Use grit/egg shells to help keep slugs at bay.
- Pick your fruit in dry weather.
- If you’ve used a pot/hanging basket, replace the plants each year for the best crop
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Choose the right location
Growing your own strawberries is easy and endlessly rewarding. Strawberries can be planted in pots or in the ground. Either way it is important to choose the right location, so find a sunny, sheltered position. If you are planting in earth the soil must be well-drained. -
Prevent your plants from rotting
To ensure that plants won't rot, plant them with the crown showing above the soil (the crown is the area above the roots and below the leaves). Water your plants frequently, but be careful not to water log. -
Reduce the number of weeds nearby
When fruit starts to appear on your plants lay mulch, matting or straw around your plants to reduce weeds. This will also prevent the fruit from touching the ground and rotting. Removing weeds will help reduce the competition for vital nutrients needed for growth. -
Cover the plants with netting
When the strawberries start to turn red cover them with netting to stop them being eaten by birds, making sure that the netting doesn't touch the fruit. -
How to pick strawberries
Make sure you pick the strawberries as soon as they're ripe as this will help prevent them from rotting. To avoid bruising, carefully pick the fruit by pinching away from the stem. -
Remove nets, straw & matting
When your plants have stopped producing fruit, take away the nets, straw and matting and cut away any old leaves. Leaving just the new leaves and the crown will help you to achieve a better crop next season.
