Are your strawberry plants looking a little empty this summer? Don't fret, there are several things you can do to encourage more fruit growth, deter pests and keep your plants growing all summer long.
Not only are strawberries some of the tastiest fruits you can grow at home, but they're also great ground cover plants for filling large areas. They are usually easy to grow and maintain; however, it can feel frustrating when they are failing to produce as much fruit as you expected. This can be for multiple reasons, but the good news is that you can fix it.
Whether you're looking to grow edible plants in pots or are learning to vegetable garden as a beginner, here are the three steps to take for an impressive strawberry yield. Just in time to serve them with cream for Wimbledon watching.
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Strawberries are not only fantastic patio container plants, but they're also great to grow in your balcony garden, too. But if you want to get the most out of your plants, there are a few steps you should take to encourage extra fruit growth.
"Let's talk about how to get the best out of your strawberry plants, with a little help from Cherry Lane Garden Centre. You can actually get your strawberries to produce even more fruit throughout the summer, and it's really easy to do. You've just got to make sure you follow the right steps," starts Ish, garden design expert and garden influencer on Instagram @gardening.with.ish.
"First of all, you need to make sure you're giving them the right feed. Strawberries like a good amount of feed every couple of weeks," he continues. "There are two things you can either go for a dedicated strawberry feed or, if you're looking for slightly higher potassium, go for an organic tomato feed."
Forgetting to feed your fruit and veggies is a summer gardening mistake that's best avoided if you want to grow enough of your own produce. Aside from feeding, some tactical pruning can also help with fruit production.
"Another thing you need to look at is the runners. Now, the runner is exactly what it says it is: it's the length here that's running away from the plant, and it's trying to make another one," Ish says.
"Which is fantastic if you want to create brand new strawberry plants, but if you're trying to grow strawberries, that's a waste of energy. So cut them at the base and let them focus on the strawberry growth," he adds.
Use sharp, clean secateurs to do this, an essential gardening tool, as this will help avoid any disease spreading or stress on the plant.
Once you've given your strawberries all the nutrients and pruning they need, the next step is to protect the fruit you're trying to grow. Whilst it's great to attract birds to your garden, they tend to love stealing a berry or two.
"Now, when you've successfully managed to get more strawberries, you need to protect them from being eaten by birds and even your pets. All you need to do is take four bamboo canes and get some simple garden netting, which will only cost you about a quid or so to do this. And all you do is wrap it round the pot," Ish states.
"By doing this, you'll introduce air and light so these will still thrive, but all of a sudden, birds, squirrels, your dogs, they can't get to your strawberries. So, if you wanna have more strawberries this summer, now you know how," finishes Ish.
Want to grow your own strawberries next year? They're one of the fruits you'll need to plant in April for a summertime harvest.
