Strawberries enjoy well-drained soil in sunny spots. Enrich the strawberry patch with well-rotted manure.
- Plant 12-15 inches (30-38 cm) apart, crowns level with the soil surface. Keep well-watered.
- Feed with a high potassium liquid fertiliser every two weeks through the growing season. (Often suggested to use liquid tomato fertiliser)
- You might want to net your patch to protect it from birds.
- Plants should crop well for 3 to 4 years, after which, replace plants and grow in a new position.
The runners produced by strawberry plants are an ideal way to propagate plants. Remove runners after the final harvest to avoid strawberry beds turning into a thicket of poorly fruiting plants.
To propagate, sink runners into a 3 1/2 inch (9cm) pot, ensuring the roots are in contact with the growing medium. Don’t let the pots dry out. Once rooted, sever the young plants from the parent. Plant out by the end of August for fruiting next year.
Perpetual strawberries produce few runners and it is best to buy new, certified disease-free plants every 2-3 years.
For a guide on early, mid season, late season and ever-bearing strawberries see RHS, The Garden, September 2019: p. 25.
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