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How to grow strawberries

in Home : Projects: Fruit and vegetables

You will need

  • Strawberry plant
  • Sharp knife or secateurs
  • Pots
  • Multi-purpose compost
  • Garden wire or u-shaped staples
Do it: September - early October
Takes just: 45 minutes

Project categories

Overview

As soon as your strawberry plants have finished fruiting it's time to clear away all the straw or matting to discourage slugs and snails from nibbling at the plants. It's also a good time to raise some new plants from their abundant runners - the long stems emerging from the main plant. Do this now and you can look forward to more plants and a bumper harvest next summer.

How to do it

Trimming stem

1Choose a healthy runner which has produced one or more leaves, and remove any stems emerging from the new leaves, while keeping it still attached to the parent plant.

Pegging strawberry runner in place

2Fill pots with multi-purpose compost. Place the strawberry plant runner on the soil surface and hold the runner in place using a u-shaped staple or a piece of wire.

Potted strawberry runner

3Keep the compost moist at all times. As soon as the plants are strongly rooted, snip off the stem connecting it to the parent plant, and plant out into prepared ground.

Adam's tip

To help rooting, use a soil mix of three parts compost to one part sand.

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Talkback: How to grow strawberries
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cybergarden 24/11/2011 at 15:27

I'm new to both the website and the world of gardening so any advice would be really helpful.

Blessing 24/11/2011 at 15:27

I'm planting stawberries in hanging baskets for a balcony (first floor in a high rise flat. Will I be able to use the plants next year.?

daisydolittle 24/11/2011 at 15:27

I'm new on here and new to gardening. I find site very informative. Great!

jonie 24/11/2011 at 15:28

I have had a lot of success making new plants. Now I need to be able to take care of them.

Lothwen 24/11/2011 at 15:28

I am new to Gardeners world and not very green fingered yet! My five year old daughters love of gardening has spurred me on and this site is perfect!

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