Strawberries – how to grow your own
Strawberries are a favorite for many—and for good reason. They’re easy to grow, packed with antioxidants, and you don’t need much space to enjoy a few sweet handfuls during the summer holidays. With the right care, you can expect a generous harvest of 1 to 1.5 kg of berries per square meter.
Strawberries should be planted in full sun, and it’s ideal to place them in a spot facing south or east. Avoid planting them where strawberries have been grown before, as there might be lingering diseases in the soil. Monthly strawberries don't require as much sun as other varieties and can produce fruit well into the fall. These are similar to wild strawberries, which are small, sweet, and naturally growing strawberry plants.
Strawberries – which variety should I choose?
Strawberry 'Korona'
A medium-early, robust variety that produces large, slightly elongated, sweet berries with a great taste. One of the sweetest varieties. Suitable for freezing.
Strawberry 'Beltran'
An extremely early, remontant variety that produces fruit from June to August. The berries are red, conical, and have a mild sweetness. Slightly hanging. Well-suited for hanging baskets.
Strawberry 'Senga Sengana'
A medium-late variety with medium-sized, round, dark red berries with a sweet and tart taste. A good variety for desserts, juice, and jam. Needs consistent and regular watering.
Strawberry 'Polka'
A medium-early variety that produces round, medium-sized dark berries with a good, aromatic flavor. A fairly firm variety. Suitable for freezing.
Strawberry 'Ostara'
A remontant variety with beautiful conical strawberries and a strong flavor. Long harvesting period, lasting until the frost comes. Suitable for freezing.
Strawberry 'Summer Breeze Snow'
An early, remontant variety with white, double flowers and large, sweet and tart strawberries. Great for hanging baskets and pots.
Strawberry 'Summer Breeze Rose'
An early, remontant variety with dark pink, double flowers and large, sweet and tart strawberries. Great for hanging baskets and pots.
Wild Strawberry 'Rügen'
A monthly strawberry that produces plenty of large, red berries throughout the summer. A beautiful and easy-to-care-for variety.
Caring for strawberries
It doesn't take much before you have your very own strawberries in hand, but here are a few tips that might be worth keeping in mind:
Soil, nutrition and irrigation
Strawberries thrive in well-drained, moderately fertile soil. The soil can contain a fair amount of sand and gravel. Sandy clay soil works fine as well. Remove all weeds from the area and mix in compost before creating small raised rows, which you can cover with a plastic or fiber cloth. Covering with plastic can help prevent weeding, warm up the soil, and prevent the strawberries from rotting as easily as they would if left directly on the ground. Plant the plants 30-40 cm apart, with at least 50-60 cm between rows. An alternative to fabric is to lay straw or grass clippings around the plants to protect them from soil splash and pests.
In spring, give them a dose of fertilizer, and during dry periods, make sure to water regularly.
Pruning/rejuvenation
Every spring, remove dead plant parts. Continuously remove runners throughout the summer. In the fall, trim the plants down to about 5 cm in height.
After 3-4 years, the plants will start producing poorly and should be replaced. If you take care of the runners every third year and plant them elsewhere in the garden, you'll have new plants to set out the following year. You should keep the first runner closest to the mother plant and allow it to root in a pot first.
Ideally, you should practice crop rotation in your vegetable garden, so feel free to establish a new strawberry bed in another location.
Covering up
Birds love strawberries, so if you want to keep them safe, you should cover the berries. Use netting. If your beds aren't too large, you can create a frame and cover it with chicken wire — it's easy to lift off when it's time to harvest.
Strawberries can also be grown in pots
It's absolutely possible to grow strawberries even if you only have a balcony at your disposal. Make the most of pots and containers!
- Place a 4–5 cm thick layer of expanded clay (lecakuler) at the bottom of the pot.
- Add a layer of weed cloth or garden fabric over the expanded clay.
- Fill with potting soil mixed with well-rotted manure compost.
- Plant the strawberry plants about 30 cm apart.
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