Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 10.9
Strawberries reproduce from runners. Use
them to increase your stock, but for the best crops
remove the runners so that the plant's energy goes into
fruit production.
Pruningtimes
Pinch out the first flowers produced after
winter planting for about two months so that
the plants can establish. Cut back all the
foliage after harvest.
Figure 10.8
Surely the most popular and beautiful berry.
plant strawberries in the same place twice.
Diseases build up in the soil so change their
position in the landscape. This is a good
argument for growing them in pots where the
soil can be replaced completely and the
containers can be washed thoroughly. A
position catching the morning sun is ideal as
this will dry the morning dew quickly so
fungal problems can be minimised. Netting
to protect the fruit from birds is essential.
Maintenance
Summer strawberries can and should be
renovated to prolong the life of the
strawberry bed. They reproduce by means of
runners (see Figure 10.9), and it stands to
reason that establishing a new plant runner
and good berry production are mutually
exclusive activities. Unless you wish to
increase your stock of plants, remove all
runners so that the plants energy can be
directed to berry production.
There are two main types of cultivated
strawberries; the summer flowering berries
and the day-neutral ever-bearing strawberries.
The summer flowering plants can be
renovated replacing older plants with fresh
runners every two to three years, while the
everbearers are best replaced completely after
three to four years.
Straight after harvest cut back all the leaves
and any remnant flowering stems with
hedging shears, or just grab the leaves and
chop them off with the secateurs. The plants
should look something like an echidna. Now
is the time to fertilise and water well so that
new leaves will be produced to feed the crown
that develops the embryos of next year's
flowers.
Fruitingwood
Strawberries produce their flowers, fruits and
leaves from their crowns like all herbaceous
perennials. The flowers are formed in the
crown the preceding summer, so water and
fertilise well after harvest to ensure next
year's crop.
Harvest
Harvest your berries when they are completely
coloured and glossy.
