Complete strawberry care guide
Plant strawberries in a sunny, sheltered site (avoid shade). Pollinating insects are essential for fruit formation as poor pollination causes misshapen fruits. Flowering to fruiting takes one month. Forced plants under glass require hand pollination – just run your hands gently over fully opened blooms. Use glass or rigid plastic cloches to protect early outdoor blossoms from frost damage, which can cause individual blooms to develop a blackened centre (‘black eye’).
Watering
Strawberries are thirsty and those in containers demand daily irrigation during very hot summer days (automatic irrigation, water-retaining granules and pot reservoirs will all help). The root system is extensive once established, so small containers are unsuitable for mature plants. Avoid getting water on fruits to deter blemishes and rots.
Feeding
At the start of the growing season, apply a balanced fertiliser. As soon as the first flower clusters appear, switch to a high-potash feed like tomato fertiliser. Liquid formulations are best as they are taken up more rapidly than granular feeds. But for an easy, quick method, try mixing a slowrelease fertiliser into the compost on planting although, unlike liquid feeding, this is not tailored to seasonal differences.
Covering
Birds (notoriously blackbirds) are troublesome as soon as fruits begin to ripen, so ensure you have protection in place by early summer. The simplest form is netting – install it correctly to prevent birds becoming ensnared within loose netting. Build a cage using wooden batons or hoops, then secure netting (or, ideally, finemesh chicken wire) over it, so that it is held taught. Check frequently for holes and/or sagging.
Pests and diseases
Red spider mite and aphids can damage foliage undercover, so keep these in check with organic sprays and never spray plants in flower with insecticides. Be vigilant for slugs around plants and water in the morning rather than evening. Straw bedding will discourage slugs, plus it keeps fruits clean and helps prevent rots. Good air flow prevents moulds, so avoid planting too closely. Look for vine weevil damage, especially in pot-grown plants and treat with a biological control in early autumn.
Harvesting
Strawberries ripen from green to patchy red, then fully red, to deep red – harvest them as soon as they turn deep red (there will be some variation in fruit colour with variety). Don’t be tempted to leave the fruits too long as they will taste musty and become rotten. Pick during dry weather, via the stalk not the fruit, as bruised flesh quickly rots. Ideally eat fresh, but if refrigerated, allow fruits to warm to room temperature before eating, otherwise the flavour is significantly impaired.