Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

First time Strawberry Grower - Hints and Tips please

CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
in Fruit & veg
I would like to grow strawberries for the first time this year and just want to pick people’s brains …. what is the best variety? I don’t mind if I only have a short fruiting season as I love the juicy, big strawberries not the smaller ones.  Also, should I grow in pots or in the ground? I presume you have to cover them with netting or the birds will have first pickings!  I’ve looked on the internet for advice but as we all know you can end up going in circles and lose hours of your life 😂 Thanks
South Devon 

Posts

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    I grow mine in both troughs and in raised beds.  I've grown different varieties over the years but now tend to stick with the "perpetual fruiting" types. Early summer thru to late Autumn ( if the weather is kind ).  
    Best to follow a 3 year cycle which allows you to replenish your stock without the faff and expense of buying new.  After their 3rd year of production, they tend to slow down and become less prolific.
    Yes, once the fruit begins to turn, the birds will inevitably spot them before you do so a cage/netting is useful.
    Hope you find a variety you like and have success :)
  • Wilf77Wilf77 Posts: 1
    Me too – I've picked up a few plants this year from the garden centre. They are sat in the cold frame at the moment and I will look for somewhere to put them in one of the beds. My plan is to grow more from runners. Mine are Cambridge Delight which I think are a peoples favourite. Will definitely cover mine and put straw underneath which I read helps them not to rot
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    @Wilf77 Yes the straw mulch also helps to keep the fruit clean.  It can provide a good hiding place for slugs/snails tho so keep an eye out  ;)
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    For big fruit go for a modern cultivar and for good taste go for one of the later varieties, Limanixa and Salsa are both excellent and Malwina is also good but very late.
    Don't get Honeoye or any of the early ones, they don't have the taste of the later berries and that specific one can be horrifically sour depending on soil type. 

    I grow on a small commercial scale so I get a lot of feedback from customers on what they like and do not like, Limanixa is everyone's favourite followed by Sonata, Sonata tends to grow multiple crowns and therefore end up with small fruit so I havn't recommended it. Personally I will not be growing Limanixa again, because I cannot keep the birds and slugs off of it, it has such a strong scent it attracts them from 3 miles away! But that is not a reason to not try it in a garden.
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Thanks everyone for your help and good luck @Wilf77 for your first season growing strawberries.  
    I was brought up with parents who grew various fruit and veg, my Dad grew raspberries but I can’t remember him ever growing strawberries so they seem a bit mysterious to me 😂 but I shall definitely be giving them a go this year 😋
    South Devon 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They're pretty easy @CatDouch. They need a decent amount of food and water- especially in pots, and as @philippasmith2 says, a bit of changing around with the runners so that you get a healthy and sustainable crop, but other than that, it's mostly about keeping slugs/birds  off them. 
    I'm giving up with them pretty much though - I've always grown them, but I don't really like them that much! I did it mainly for the girls when they were little, as they were easy for them to muck about with. Slugs are the biggest problem for me with them, and it just becomes a nuisance trying to keep on top of that.
    I use Elsanta, which does very well here, especially in pots. I've tried others but that one suits here. Don't use those daft pots with the wee openings - just use decent sized ones.  ;)
    Straw is the usual choice for a layer on the soil to keep them clean and off the soil surface, but you can almost anything - wood shavings work well too.
    Good luck with them  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Thanks @Fairygirl, when planning what to grow this year I had a good think about what fruit and veg I buy a lot of and during the summer months I buy loads of strawberries from our local greengrocer.  They’re loads better than the supermarket ones, even the ones labelled British, so I’m really looking forward to them.
    South Devon 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You'll probably need a couple of varieties to give you a decent succession of fruits, and enough room to keep them healthy, but if you can achieve that - and keep the birds and slugs off them - you should get a nice crop  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    edited February 2023
    In terms of keeping the slugs away, I've found that the strawberries in these hanging troughs don't get anywhere near as much attention as those in the ground.



    You do need to keep on top of watering during dry spells though!
    East Lancs
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Thanks @Biglad, I think I’m going to grow different varieties as @Fairygirl suggested and also grow some in my veg bed and some in troughs like you’ve suggested.  I can then see what works best 👍
    South Devon 
Sign In or Register to comment.