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Strawberries are herbaceous plants that
can be grown in the ground, or in containers.
There are three distinct types of strawberry
plant: summer fruiting, perpetual-fruiting,
and alpine. The strawberries we will
cover in this article are the summer fruiting
ones. |
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Where
to site the strawberry plants |
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Grow in a sunny, warm site. Make sure
you soil is well-drained, and if planting
in the ground, do not grow in the same site
as potatoes were grown previously, as they
may pick up a virus from the spuds.
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Bedding
for the fruit |
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With growing strawberries, you need to keep
the fruits off the soil, so planting in
pots is a good idea. Use a good multi-purpose
compost, and put a layer of stones on the
top of the soil, so when watering the soil
is not splashed onto the fruits. If
you plant your strawberries in the ground,
use straw, or strawberry mats to protect
the fruits. |
| The
three year life cycle |
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Strawberry plants
have a 3 year cycle…. the first year you
get a small crop…the second year you get
a large crop, and possibly the third year,
but after three years, they lose their oomph….
so you need to replace your plants, and
to take runners during the first year to
make sure you have a second year crop all
the time. When strawberries are growing
well, they throw out tendrils, which grow
miniature plants on the end, and they are
the runners. When they get to a size
of 3 or 4 leaves, then cut off the runner,
and plant it in a pot of good multi-purpose
compost, and keep well-watered. When
you take the runners in the first year,
do not let the runner plant crop.
Just let it sit, and produce leaves.
They are called maiden plants…. if flowers
look like opening, take them off.
Don't forget to label and date your runners.
Remove surplus runners, and make sure you
keep your plants well weeded if growing
them in the ground. When watering,
do not wet the fruits, as they will develop
botrytis, so use a watering can, and gently
water near the crowns. Do not use
a hosepipe, as it will spray the fruits,
and disease will follow.
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| Protecting
your crop from pests |
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Once the fruits start to develop, and turn
red, you will need to protect from marauding
birds, as they notice the red colour.
Netting is good, but you need to make a
cage, because if you just drape the net
over the fruit, the birds can get to them.
Constructing a frame, and pinning the netting
to the frame works, but if you have a greenhouse,
taking the plants into the greenhouse will
be even better. They will love a feed,
too. Any good plant food will do,
but tomato feed is the best.
After they have finished fruiting, you can
take them out of the greenhouse, and leave
them out in the winter. For some reason,
if strawberries get a good hard frost on
their crowns, they will fruit better.
If you grow them in terracotta pots, be
careful the frost doesn't shatter them.
But strawberries are tough plants, and will
suffer transplanting, and moving about from
broken pots to new ones.
You may find that the leaves of your plants
look dead or dying. Do not worry,
as they do that, and you only have to take
the dead ones off the plant. During
the winter, leave them on, as the plant
is dormant, and it wont hurt it. When
you notice new growth in the spring, take
the dead leaves off your plant, and make
sure it is well watered, and remember to
keep moss, and weeds off your plants.
You can also grow strawberries in grow-bags,
but make sure you keep them evenly watered,
and protected from birds, and slugs.
Grow-bags tend to dry out quickly, so you
need to check often and make sure they stay
moist.
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Month by month diary on jobs to do
Allotment Preparation |
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