How to grow Strawberries in the UK
Buy a few plants once and they give fruit for 3-4 years.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Grows to20cm
- Spacing40cm
- Time to first pickabout 8 weeks
- Typeperennial
When to sow, plant and harvest strawberries
| Plant | mid March to late May or early August to late September |
|---|---|
| Pick | early June to late July |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Planting it
- Water your new plants in their pots first
- Dig a hole a bit bigger than the pot
- Tip the plant out gently, holding the leaves, not the stem
- Pop it in the hole, firm the soil around it, and water well
- Space the plants about 40cm apart in the row, with rows 60cm apart
Top tips for growing strawberries
- Grow them in pots or a hanging basket to keep them away from slugs.
Looking after strawberries
- Week 6: Tuck straw under the plants so the berries stay clean and dry
- Week 8: Net them so the birds don't get them first
Soil and feeding
Rich soil with a thick mulch on top. Dig in compost or well-rotted manure before planting, then spread a thick layer on top every spring.
Pests and problems
- Blackbirds & sparrows: peck seedlings, pull out onion sets and steal ripe fruit
- Slugs & snails: munch seedlings overnight, worst in wet weather
- Squirrels: dig up bulbs and steal cobs and berries
- Net them when the fruit starts to turn red - not before, so bees can pollinate the flowers
Harvesting and eating strawberries
Pick when they're red all over. Warm from the sun is best!
How to eat them: Straight from the plant. Or with cream.
Storing strawberries
Keeps 2-3 days.
- Keep in the fridge, and only wash them just before eating
Pull off the green tops, freeze on a tray, then bag - perfect for smoothies. Or make jam!
Good varieties of strawberries
- Honeoye: Early, bright red and very sweet.
- Cambridge Favourite: Reliable old favourite.
- Mara des Bois: Tastes like wild strawberries, fruits all summer.
- Flamenco: Fruits from July to October.
Companion planting
Grows well with
- Garlic: garlic may help keep pests off strawberries
- Chives: chive flowers bring bees to pollinate the berries
- Salad leaves: lettuce fills the gaps between strawberry plants
- Borage: bees for more and bigger berries
- Poached egg plant: early flowers bring bees
- Sweet alyssum: a living mulch that brings helpers
- Cosmos: brings bees for more berries
- Lavender: bees galore for more berries
- Thyme: flowers bring bees
Keep away from
- Kale: cabbage-family plants can stunt strawberries
- Purple sprouting broccoli: cabbage-family plants can stunt strawberries
- Cauliflower: cabbage-family plants can stunt strawberries
- Brussels sprouts: cabbage-family plants can stunt strawberries
Saving your own strawberries seed
Summer, after picking.
- Strawberries send out long stems called runners, with baby plants on the end
- Pin a baby plant into a small pot of compost with a bent paperclip
- When it has rooted (about 4 weeks), snip the runner - free plant!
Where to buy strawberries plants
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Strawberries questions
When do I plant out strawberries?
Plant strawberries out from mid March to late May or early August to late September.
When can I pick strawberries?
Strawberries is ready from early June to late July. Pick when they're red all over. Warm from the sun is best!
How long do strawberries take to grow?
Roughly 8 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are strawberries easy to grow?
Strawberries are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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