I remember racing out to the strawberry farm every year on Christmas Eve to make sure we had enough for the next day. Adrenalin pumping, it was an unspoken race between all the other eager customers to make sure we got in first and not miss out.
Isn’t it strange what happens when the shops close for 1 day!
But since I’ve been growing strawberries myself, I don’t have to make the mad dash to the berry farm anymore.
A small punnet of strawberries is usually around $2.50 – $3.00 at the height of the season, which adds up pretty quickly if you buy them regularly.
When I bought my strawberry plants they were $5 each, and now it’s not uncommon for me to pull 2kg every couple of days.
Now not only do we get to eat fresh strawberries daily, but we also get to make more than enough jam to last us a year, strawberry rollups for extra lunchbox snacks, and we can bless people around us with extras too!
So if you’re ready to get started growing strawberries, here are some of my top tips!
Strawberries are so versatile because they can be growing in so many different ways; containers, raised beds, in-ground, and vertical gardens are perfect ways to grow strawberries.
If you have problems with slugs and snails, vertical gardens are a great solution, but I have mine in a raised bed and they do well there in spite of the insects.
For more ideas on places to grow strawberries, check out the pinterest board I made.
Strawberries are actually a part of the Rosaceae family, which also includes Roses. The strawberries that we eat are not fruits or berries in the same way as other fruits. Usually the ovaries of a fruit swell when they’re fertilised and that turns into the fruit. But that doesn’t happen on a strawberry, and the seeds on the outside are actually fruit!
The strawberry flower is made up of both male and female parts. The male parts contain the pollen and each individual female part (called pistils) must be pollinated by receiving the pollen from the male part.
And as the ‘berry’ grows out (it’s called a receptacle), the pollinated pistils turn into what we think are seeds but they’re actually the fruit!
If the pistils don’t all pollinate that’s when you end up with small and weird-shaped fruit.
Strawberry plants are really very simple to plant. In whatever way you choose to grow them (in-ground, vertical, container, rasied bed etc), make sure to choose a spot that gets full sun, which means 6-8 hours of sun during the day.
The best time to get your strawberry plants planted is in early spring, but after the last frost has passed. If you do happen to catch a frost after planting them, the plants won’t die, but any blossoms already growing will most likely die off.
When you plant strawberries, make sure to use a good potting mix or soil, and one that is well-draining.
Keep the plants about 30-45cm apart, because they will grow and spread during the summertime.
Strawberries don’t require a lot of attention when they’re growing, but there’s a few things you’ll want to remember to make sure you get big, sweet, juice strawberries all summer long!
It’s a good idea to remove the first few blossoms in the late spring/early summer in their first year so the plants can focus on growing strong roots and bigger, better berries.
Strawberries do like to be watered regularly, but be careful not to drown them. I will usually only water them if it hasn’t rained for a couple of days.
And even though it can be really tempting to pick some just as you’ve watered them, it’s best to do it before you’ve started and even better to do it first thing in the morning.
Strawberry plants are perennial in the sense that they do not completely die away over winter and they start producing again when the weather warms up.
However, strawberry plants don’t last forever. Each year they will product ‘runner’s, which are brand new strawberry plants, and after 4-5 years, the oldest plants will stop producing.
The best way to ensure you always have strawberry plants that are producing well, is to create perpetual strawberry bed.
Strawberry plants will product ‘runners’ during the year, which are new, baby plants the same as the parent plant. By removing these runners and planting them in a new position, you’ll be creating a new first year strawberry bed that will still be producing after the first one is finished.
To remove the runners, simply pinch off the connecting stem to the larger plant. Then place the runners in a new garden bed or pot and water well. It will take a few weeks to get good root growth and become well established, but it won’t take long to get big, juicy strawberries from your new strawberry bed as well!
Strawberries are so versatile in the garden and on your plate, which make them an easy choice for your home garden. They are extremely prolific in the summer months, and I have found they even grow into Autumn before the weather cools down.
Make sure to propagate your strawberries yearly for a perpetual supply, and give them lots of sun.
And then enjoy fresh or preserved. For some fun and interesting ways to use strawberries, take a look at my Top 5 Strawberry Recipes.
And for more gardening inspiration and meal planning, make sure you sign up to my weekly email before you go.