Are you thinking about growing strawberries this year, but don’t know where to start? We’ve put together some tips that can help you prepare your patch.

 

Strawberries, like raspberries and blackberries are classified as cane fruit, which you can grow successfully in most climate zones in Australia. The delicious sweet fruits a berry patch can provide is one advantage of growing strawberries in your backyard, along with some other advantages like:

  • You don’t need much space
  • It’s affordable to set up
  • You can harvest in your first season
  • Daily picking, during peak season
  • They grow well in pots & hanging baskets
  • Under the right conditions, strawberries make good ground cover.

Growing strawberries in pots

To grow mouth-watering strawberries, it starts with the soil. It needs to be slightly acidic (pH 5 – 7.5), so if the soil is alkaline, use pots with a fruit and citrus mix. Add small amounts of coffee grounds, as well as plenty of compost as strawberries are heavy feeders.

Growing strawberries in the ground

If you’re growing them in the ground, add powdered sulphur. Irrigate using an in-ground dripline system such as the Pope Drip Eze drip tube, as overhead sprinkling can cause mildew. Our irrigation guides can help you choose the perfect set up for your strawberry patch. Strawberries love sun, but not extreme heat. Eight hours of daily sunlight will help them flower to that ripe, juicy size.

Five tips to fill up your punnets

  1. Cut excessive runners as they’ll take energy away from the fruiting plant
  2. Water regularly with good drainage.
  3. Avoid water-logging. Use a mulch (like cut sugar cane) to cushion the fruit above the soil
  4. Try using a fungicide dust and remove infected leaves to reduce powdery mildew.
  5. Give your plants plenty of space to grow. Note: Extra plants don’t mean more fruit.

Picking the perfect strawberry

There are always new varieties being developed, so take a stroll through your local garden centre when you’re planning your patch. Choose the type that will suit the climate and how you want to grow your plants. If you have your eyes (and stomach) set on a specific variety, join a garden club and order plants direct.

If you live in a subtropical region, choose varieties that flower in cooler temperatures and plant in Winter (April onwards). Because strawberries thrive in temperate zones, they’re best planted in Spring (October onwards) in these regions. Don’t be afraid to experiment the first year and tweak your growing style to improve next year’s produce.

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