Pick of the Crop – How to grow Strawberries
This eternal question has divided people for centuries. Yet everyone agrees on one thing: strawberries are delicious! Their shape, their colour, their aroma and flavour has long captivated the hunger and curiosity of people from all around the world.
While already popular during the Roman empire, the old rulers of Europe dispatched botanists and explorers to look for wild varieties to be bred as cultivars for a steady supply.
Times have changed and present-day strawberries are available at the grocery store almost three months a year (yes, strawberry season has been extended thanks to air freights from other countries).
Strawberry seedlings can also make their appearance in your local garden centres as early as June.
Now if you have a well-sheltered corner in your patch and are prepared to commit it to this crop over multiple seasons, growing your own strawberries can be a fun and rewarding process.
Strawberry beds must be worked with plenty of composted manure and potash several weeks before transplanting in the young plants. Strawberry planting season also coincides with cold months when household fireplaces are still in use, so the potash-rich woodfire ash (avoid ash from coal or treated timber) can be conveniently used for the preparation of the soil.
Strawberries are always in search of new soil to put roots down in. This behaviour must be encouraged by pricking half the blossoms from your healthy plants and allowing the plant to develop strong runners.
While runners will eventually generate a new plant, it’s recommended to remove any old plants and shift the strawberry patch every three years.
Tips for the perfect strawberry
Fruits of your labour
There are a variety of strawberry plants you could consider planting, including Camarosa, Pajara and Chandler, each with their own properties and colours. Why not consider planting a few at different times for a constant supply of yummy strawberries?
Location, location
Sometimes there’s just not enough space in your garden. Instead, strawberries can also be grown in pots or even PVC rain gutters installed along fences and walls.
These and many other creative solutions are great for saving space, can look amazing and will keep your precious strawberry crop above the ground. A consistent watering regime is paramount here, though.
Strawberries like a good balance between sunshine and shade and lots of ground to expand. They like raised garden beds, but you can also consider pots and hanging baskets.
Timing
The best time to plant in Australia and NZ is arguably from June to October in the warmer northern regions, and August to October in the cooler southern regions.
Watch for weeds
Use black plastic sheets to cover the mounds. Planting can be done by cutting round holes just big enough to dig a hole for the plants – this will stop weeds and keep the moisture in the soil.
Strawberry fields forever
There’s something irresistible about the taste of home-grown strawberries. With plenty of sun, the right preparation and some tender loving care, you too could be enjoying your own harvests season after season.
Planting
Strawberries like rich soft soil. For the best drainage and ventilation, plants should be planted on top of a mound about 10cm above the ground and 15cm apart along the top of the mound.
Water
Key times to water strawberries are in their younger growth phase and when bearing fruit. If it has recently rained, cut back. Checking the surrounding soil will let you know if they need watering.
Harvest
Ripe strawberries are susceptible to all sorts of pests and diseases, as soon as they start to turn red, a simple change in weather condition like light rain or humidity can speed up the development of powdery mildew or grey mould. Be vigilant and remove any fruit that shows signs of discolouration or rot.
Harvesting is all about timing: pick fruit once fully coloured and ripe all over. The best way to harvest is to snip them at the stem. They bruise easily, so be careful. Remember to remove the runners.
Store
You can put fresh strawberries in the fridge for the first few days. After that, pack them loosely in a bowl or open container lined with paper towels. For longer periods you can dry-freeze them.
