Huge Starwberry Harvests

Homegrown strawberries are a real delight, and who wouldn't want more of them?

With this quick and easy guide, I will show you the secrets behind incredible strawberry harvests.

No fluff and no padding, just my top tips. So let's get straight to it.

Tip 1 - Fertilise

Fertilising strawberries is essential if you want the greatest yields possible.

I like to make feeding my plants as simple as possible. You already have enough to worry about without wondering what to feed which plants and when.

With that in mind, I use this organic strawberry feed and nothing else on my strawberries. I know I will only use this on my strawberries, which makes things much simpler.

Regarding when to apply this feed, I like to feed them constantly from springtime onwards. Roughly once a week. Simply dilute a capful in your watering can, and you're good to go.

Tip 2 - Remove Runners

Runners are one way strawberries like to reproduce, and they can be a great, free way to increase your plant stock.

If you already have enough plants, prune the runners off as soon as they appear. You don't want your plant wasting energy creating runners when it should be putting all of its energy into producing strawberries.

I would suggest allowing some shoots to develop into plants every few years, just to keep your stock of strawberry plants young and healthy.

Tip 3 - Grow Off The Ground

One of the biggest causes of lost fruit with strawberries is pest damage, and also rot from being in contact with the soil.

This is why I prefer to grow my strawberries in an elevated position whenever possible. It makes it a little tougher for the slugs to get them than if they were growing on the ground.

I also always use mulch under them to keep them off the ground. The mulch can be anything; in the photo above, it is a weed membrane, but straw is often used.

You just want something under the plants so that the fruit is not in constant contact with the soil.

Tip 4 - Cut Them Back

Cut your strawberries right back to the ground in autumn after they have finished fruiting. This helps prepare them for winter and means that they will come back stronger than ever in the spring.

As long as you don't go cutting into the crown, you can't do much damage, so really go to town!

Tip 5 - Water Well

One thing I have found with strawberries, and it is something that is often overlooked, is that they absolutely love water.

When they are fruiting, I will give them really heavy water every single day if the weather is hot. Giving them plenty of water encourages more fruit to develop.

Grow Undercover

When you think about what crops to grow in your greenhouse or polytunnel, then strawberries won't be top of your list, but they actually make a fantastic greenhouse crop.

What I like to do is grow my strawberries in hanging baskets and hang them from the roof of my greenhouse. This is unused space, so it is a fantastic way to eek the most productivity out of your greenhouse as possible.

I dont leave my strawberries in here all year round, just winter and spring, before moving them outdoors in summer. This little bit of extra warmth in spring helps your strawberries thrive, and also means they are producing fruit earlier in the year.

Then, moving them back inside before the worst of winter arrives ensures you have healthier plants that are raring to go again next year!

And finally, there is one more added benefit: with them hanging from the roof of your greenhouse, pests are unlikely to be an issue.

Grow A Variety of Plants

Different varieties of strawberries like to fruit at different times of the year, so make sure you grow a few different types so you can enjoy a much longer harvesting time.

These are often labeled with early, mid, or late season designations, depending on when they prefer to fruit. There are also perpetual or everbearing strawberries that will produce multiple harvests throughout the year.

So there we have it, some of my top tips for strawberry abundance. I hope some of them serve you well and you grow more strawberries than you ever imagined this year!