Growing fruit - protecting strawberries

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You will need

Clean straw or synthetic mulch fabric
Protective netting
Seep hose (optional)

Do it: April - June

At its best: harvest from June to July

Takes just: 20 minutes

Project categories

Overview

With the fruit swelling on your strawberries it's time to protect them and cover the soil around the plants with a mulch. This will prevent the crop getting splashed with mud when it rains. And don't forget to net the plants against birds and keep them well watered in dry weather.

How to do it

Lifting strawberry stems to place straw underneath

1Weed around your strawberry plants and remove any dead or dying leaves. Lift the foliage and fruit to place a 5cm - 10cm layer of straw on the surface of the soil.

2Placing a length of seep hose under the straw allows you to connect it to a hosepipe which will stop soil splash during watering.

Ripe strawberry fruits with synthetic mulch fabric underneath

3If you are allergic to straw or find it difficult to source, use a synthetic mulch fabric to cover the soil under strawberries, cutting slots out to accommodate the plants.

Adam's tip

Cover your strawberries with netting to stop the birds getting the crop before you do. But remember that birds can get trapped by nets, so only use it if you can check it regularly.

Discuss this project

Talkback: Growing fruit - protecting strawberries

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j66ude 24/11/2011 at 15:28

Can I plant strawberries through black weed suppressing mesh and if so does it attract slugs cos it is dark?

nwebb 24/11/2011 at 15:28

I am a beginner gardener. Pls can you advise where can I get clean straw to use it around strawberries? Thank you.

lorraine_p 24/11/2011 at 15:29

I'm also new to strawberry growing and just bought some hay-like straw from poundstretchers which is designed for small pets. I hope this will do the same job!

JANE NELSON 19/04/2012 at 15:52

HI JANE I AM ALSO THINKING OF PLANTING STRAWBERRES IN HANGING BASKETS WILL THAT BE OK I AM LOOKING FOR NETS TO COVER MY HANGING BASKETS HAVE YOU GOT ANY PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANKYOU JANE