ACTIONPLAN
NIGEL COLBORN’S ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR YOUR GARDEN THIS WEEK
Strawberries are in full production now, and vulnerable to bird attack. Use netting to protect yours and make sure it’s safely secured around the edges of the crop.
blackbirds are skilled at breaking in. i sometimes wonder if one bird holds the net open to let the others in.
in wet or humid weather, mould spores become more numerous and could cause botrytis in the fruits.
Keep your crop clean by removing any fruits that show signs of rotting or grey mould on their surfaces.
avoid touching or bruising berries which are not yet ready to pick. if you grow strawberries in containers or strawberry towers, make sure they receive as much sun as possible. Feed containerised strawberries regularly using high-potash fertiliser.
single- cropping varieties will produce all their fruits over the coming weeks. if there’s a surplus, you can preserve them by freezing or making jam. if you want to extend the strawberry season, grow a mix of early, midseason and late varieties.
For small-scale production, you might prefer to grow ‘ever-bearing’ strawberries such as Flamenco or bolero varieties. these produce delicious fruits throughout the growing season, but in smaller quantities.
strawberry plants will be producing ‘runners’ now — long stems with new plants developing at their tips. runners can be removed, potted up and planted out next autumn. it’s best to remove and discard all unwanted runners.