Growing strawberries

1. Get the timing right
The optimal planting time varies across the country. In the tropics and subtropics, April/May is best. In warm temperate to arid areas, it’s June/July. In cold temperate climates, wait until September/October – or you could start your plants a little earlier in a polyhouse for a hastier harvest.

2. Plant enough
One or two strawberry plants just won’t cut it. You’ll need five plants or more per person to enjoy a decent and regular harvest. When it’s time to sit down and enjoy a bowl of strawberries, you want a bowl of strawberries!

3. Replace old plants
After two years or so, a strawberry plant’s production drops into decline. Good thing they make a lot of runners! Remove these as they appear, and pot them up. They make the perfect young replacements for outgoing plants, and you’ll increase your stock and fruit production significantly.

4. Choose good performers
If a friend is raving about the abundance of their strawberry plants, ask them for a few runners, or check with your local garden club or nursery for some varieties that perform well in your area.

5. Treat them well
Strawberries must have plenty of sunshine and shelter from the elements. They also demand high fertility, just like vegies. Plant them in the vegie patch or in containers with potting mix that has been enriched with compost and worm castings, and feed them regularly.

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