How to get ahead for next season’s strawberry crop
The first mouth-watering strawberries each year are my sign that summer has arrived. However, the pleasure is ephemeral; they don’t freeze well and are at their best straight from the plot still warmed by the sun. The main crop strawberry season is past but some attention to the plants now will pay dividends next year.
Strawberry plants are quite shortlived. By their third year, the crop begins to dwindle and show signs of disease. I like to have three patches on the go at the same time – some new plants, some established ones and a bed of older ones soon to be replaced.
Just now my plants are a tangled thicket of runners waiting to be potted up to grow on for a replacement bed. They may have already rooted themselves but if not, while still attached to the parent plant, they can be rooted in pots buried in the soil. When they’re growing away nicely, the connection with their parent can be severed. It’s a good idea to pot up plenty of extras to give away.
I envied one of my neighbours who had some lovely upright plants carrying the fruit well off the ground and I hope he’s remembered I’d like a few runners. Any new plotholder keen to establish their first strawberry bed will welcome some plants to start them off.
Autumn is an ideal time while the soil is still warm. Strawberries are not fussy about soil type but they prefer a sunny situation. It makes sense to dig in some organic material such as well-rotted manure as the chance
won’t arise again for several years.
When planting a new bed, it’s important to weed thoroughly first. It is annoying to find couch grass and other perennial weeds poking up in years to come.
Established strawberry plants need tidying up for next season. I begin by cutting off all the old foliage. It’s easily done by bunching it up in one hand and chopping it off with sharp secateurs. It seems ruthless but new leaves will emerge within days.
Autumn is an ideal time while the soil is still warm. Strawberries are not fussy about soil type
Slugs and snails love to dine on strawberries and I’ve spotted some whoppers on my plot. Robins and blackbirds will welcome the feast when I’ve finished working. Some people grow their strawberries through holes in landscape fabric stretched over the bed. It looks neat but I think it provides an ideal breeding ground for slugs and other pests. n