Growing your own strawberries organically

Strawberries. Image: Sharon Mollerus, Flickr

Growing your own strawberries organically

Date: 1-Nov-2010
Camilla from The Diggers Club often gets asked to advise people on what to grow in their vegetable gardens. Her usual response is strawberries. Why you might ask? The simple truth is so you can enjoy them without the risk of chemical contamination.
Strawberries in the home garden are relatively simple and easy to grow. Their size and habit allows them to be grown in nearly any position; in pots and hanging baskets on balconies, or in the ground amongst other vegetables.
Steps for good fresh home grown strawberry production
Purchase plants as ‘runners’ in winter or as potted plants in spring. Plant strawberries in a good quality potting mix if growing in pots, or in a compost rich garden soil if growing in the ground. Feed with organic preparations of seaweed solution or fish emulsion to help with establishment and fruiting.
If planting into the ground, ensure plants have good drainage by mounding soil or by planting into raised beds. Each plant needs an area of around 30cm to grow and fruit well. Ensure plants are positioned in a sheltered warm location that receives full sun. Keep plants well watered throughout their active growing period. Protect young plants from frost.
Other hints
Old fashioned strawberries including heritage varieties like Chandler produce fruit in late spring to summer, but there are also some newer varieties that are called ‘day neutral’ plants that will fruit from spring well into autumn. It is best to plant a combination of both.
Plants will want to grow side shoots called runners. It is best to remove these runners so that the energy of the plants goes into continual fruit production.
Plants will usually fruit best in their second year of establishment and will need replanting with new runners after their second to third year. Be sure to keep up production by replanting successively.
Protect fruit from slugs and snails by using beer traps or copper wire tape.
Last step: Enjoy juicy, tender, sweet, chemical free fruit.
Brought to you by The Diggers Club.