There are few things more satisfying than growing something from seed to fruit yourself and right now it's time to plant your own Strawberries. Here I will go through the basic steps on how to do so;
Firstly, location, you will need a warm bright place indoors to get them to germinate. They need to be kept at around 18 degrees which unfortunately rules out most polytunnels and greenhouses at this time of year unless they're heated.
You will need a seed tray such as the Grow It Seed and Cutting tray or if you have them old yoghurt pots with some pin holes in the bottom are perfect.
Fill the pots with potting compost, Gro-Sure Seed and Cutting Compost is great as it contains Vermiculite to aid drainage, has been finely sieved and also has plant extracts which contain nutrients.
Spread the seeds liberally and tamp them gently down.
After about 15-20 days they should start sprouting.
Once they're around 4-5cm in height you can start thinning them out and placing them further apart.
Around mid March they should be conditioned to be outside or 'hardened off'. To do this slowly introduce outside conditions, if you have a greenhouse or polytunnel you can place them in there. If not, place them in a cooler room or leave them outside during the day and take them in at night.
By May they should be ready to be placed outside provided there's no late frosts.
You should choose a well drained spot that gets a good bit of sunshine. Fertilise the area well (Strawberries are notoriously hungry plants). Place them around 30 cm apart and water well. They will need frequent watering especially when they start to fruit.
When you first start seeing the fruit forming you should cover them with netting such as Grow It Protective Fruit and Crop Netting. When doing this make sure it's well spread out and there's no clumps blocking the light.
Pest Control.
Unfortunately they are a favourite with numerous pests such as Slugs, Aphids, Caterpillars, and Fruit Flies.
Beer traps are great for the slugs or you can use Grazers G2 Slug & Snail which cleverly works by masking the scent of your plant from them. Alternatively when you first notice you fruit forming you can place Nature Safe Slug & Snail Barrier around the plants, this is a clever product that uses crushed oyster shells to prevent them coming near.
Grazers Cabbage White, Caterpillar and Aphid spray works well for the rest and is also harmless to other insects and pets.
Disease Control.
Grey Mould, Powdery Mildew and Anthracnose are the bane of Strawberries. They can be avoided by controlling the environment though. Keeping the plants clean by removing any dead leaves and removing any rotting fruit immediately helps greatly. Making sure each plant has adequate space so that the air can flow around them and making sure they're not in standing water will stop fungus in its tracks.
So get sowing your Strawberries now to enjoy your very own completely homegrown fruit in the summer!
