07 May 2012 ,14:46 Strawberry fields forever
Nothing tastes as good as a home-grown, freshly-picked strawberries. And with a few growing tips, even the smallest garden can produce bountiful crops in the ground, raised planters or even hanging pots.
 
They’re amazing little bundles of sweetness, with their seeds being on the outside! The biggest problem is keeping their fruit off the ground and protecting it from snails and slugs. Prepare your beds or even an old bath tub (as my dear pop used to do) with compost and well-rotted manure as strawberry plants love this.
 
They're prone to fungal problems and rotting on soggy soil, so keep them in an area of the garden that gets good air circulation. And make sure you plant the crowns just above the soil and apply a nice layer of mulch over the soil to protect fruit as it ripens.
 
As strawberries like a slightly acid soil of 5.0-6.0, pine needles have been commonly used to promote this pH. Keep them well-watered and apply a seaweed solution fortnightly.

About our Blogger

img Jody Rigby
Jody Rigby is a well-known horticulturist and TV presenter.
Advertisement

About this Blog

 

A constant learning curve, gardening is all about trial and error. Knowledge grows from sharing information between friends, passing down through generations, or just getting it wrong a few times before you get it right. It's about getting grubby outside and aching from digging too much, but then feeling that fall away when you get your first flower or prize fruit off a new tree... and getting so excited you need to tell everyone.

Yours in Green is everything I’ve learnt so far - what to do when, how to do it right the first time, and of course, some frustrations along the way and how to remedy them.

Send Free eCards

Blog Archive

Read Recent Posts

November 30, 2012, 9:24 am
Eco controls
Powdery mildew Read More...
November 29, 2012, 9:48 am
Like a Hitchcock movie
I really love art in outdoor spaces, and in the garden you can create quite a feature with the right piece. I'm not talking about hundreds of reconstituted concrete Australiana figurines, more the odd one or two striking pieces to create focal points or at the end of a path or vista.Read More...
November 26, 2012, 10:19 am
In mint condition
One of the easiest herbs to grow if you’re starting out is common mint Mentha spicata. Actually the perfect spot for a mint plant is in a pot under a dripping tap, as they like reliable moisture and you can grow them in part shade to full sun.Read More...
Advertisement

  Have You Seen...

WIN! WIN!

Your chance to win cash & prizes!
Enter now 

Are you a winner?
Click here

Shop at our store!

• Books
• DVDs
• Music
• Gifts

Click Here