Synonymous with summer desserts, strawberries are a sweet addition to any garden. Of course, as a non-native plant, strawberries (Fragaria sp.) require a bit of extra love and care in our harsh climate, but the effort feels more than worth it once those white blooms turn into succulent red fruits.
To help you grow strawberry plants bursting with berries, gardening guru, author and media personality Jane Edmanson shares her top tips.
Growing strawberries at a glance
When to plant: Between June and November.
Climate: Most climates
Lighting: Full sun
Water: A few times per week
Soil type: Well-draining soil
Harvest: When three-quarters red
How to grow strawberry plants
Since strawberries are prone to disease, be sure to buy virus-free stock from nurseries. About 20–30 plants provide enough fruit for a family, but even a few plants can be a delight to grow.
- Before panting, dig over the soil to remove weeds and large clods.
- Add plenty of compost, animal manure or blood and bone.
- Position your plants about 30 centimetres apart, in full sun.
- Strawberries do best in well-draining soil so plant them on a slight mound. The crown of the plant, which is the swollen stem base, must be left at the surface of the soil and not buried too deep.
Companion planting:
Strawberry plants can benefit greatly from being planted beside herbs such as sage, dill, coriander, thyme and chives.
Avoid growing tomatoes, egglant, capsicum, roses, mint and potatoes near your strawberries as these plants can easily pass on diseases.
How long does it take for a strawberry plant to fruit?
Generally speaking, it takes a strawberry seed around four months to mature and bear fruit. Seedlings and runners will be quicker to fruit, but naturally, this all depends on the conditions and level of care your strawberry plants are growing with.
When your plants are fruiting, you’ll want to pick your berries at the right degree of ripeness to maximum flavour. They are at their best when each fruit is three-quarters red.
Keep a watch out though as the fruit ripens quite quickly and can deteriorate or be eaten up by tiny garden creatures. To avoid bruising ripe fruit, harvest your strawberries with scissors and leave a small piece of stalk attached.
How do you care for and maintain a strawberry plant?
Strawberries are perennial plants that can withstand most climates and enjoy full sun, well-drained soil and regular watering. They also do very well in pots.
Over summer, strawberry plants send out runners. These modified shoots can be used to propagate new plants but if you don’t need new plants, cut these runners off. After fruiting has finished, tidy up the bushes by giving them a hard prune down to 10 centimetres.
After four years, plants become underproductive. Remove old plants and replace them with new virus-free stock.
Common pests and diseases
Strawberries are very desirable to creatures other than humans. Possums, birds, slugs, snails and even dogs compete for the luscious fruit. Bird netting or wire mesh stretched over the plants may help. Repel snails and slugs with pet-safe baits or squashing.
The disease botrytis or grey mould can affect strawberry fruit and leaves. Remove brown or soggy fruit. Apply a registered fungicide to new flowers but pay careful attention to all withholding information (the time between spraying and harvest) on the label.
Powdery mildew, a fungus that causes a whitish-grey powder on the leaves, can also affect strawberries. Treat plants with fungicide or regularly apply a milk spray (one part milk to nine parts water). Full sun and good air circulation will reduce powdery mildew.
Related articles:
- How to grow and care for hydrangeas in New Zealand
- 14 plants with show-stopping white flowers
- How to give your plants just the right amount of water
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