Did you know.....One cup of strawberries has approximately 45 calories, and is an excellent source of vitamin C?
Strawberries are one of the easiest and most decorative fruits that can be grown in the garden. They can be grown in hanging baskets, in pots or containers as well as in the ground. Strawberry plants grow naturally at the edge of woodlands and thus prefer a light soil with plenty of organic matter.
Step by step guide to growing your own strawberries
Prepare your site
Choose a site in a sunny position. Strawberries are surface rooting plants so only a shallow cultivation is requred. Dig a shallow trench and add organic matter, such as leaf mould or well-rotted compost.
When to plant strawberries
Strawberries plants should be purchased in August or September from a reputable garden centre, or can be begged from friends and neighbours. Make sure that plants look healthy and are disease free. If the weather is mild, strawberries can be planted out as late as November.
How to plant strawberry plants
Individual strawberry plants should be planted 1½ft apart, in rows 2½ft apart. Dig a good sized hole and carefully spread the roots out. Fill in the hole with excess soil and tread down hard. Hoe slightly between plants. If planting in pots, make sure that they are not too big, as they don't like to be planted in the large terracotta strawberry planters.
Routine care of strawberries
When the strawberry plants have flowered, a layer of mulch should be placed around the base of the plants. This can be a layer of straw, peat or even strips of plastic. The mulch will keep the fruit clean and free from damage. Strawberries do benefit from a feed, especially during the summer months, when a weekly drink of tomato food does the fruit a world of good. Patio pots or containers do not need mulching.
When to harvest strawberries
As the fruits start to grow they need to be protected from birds. Simply cover your crop with a fine mesh or create a cane cage and cover with bird-proof netting. Remember .. birds love strawberries as much as we do! Strawberries are ready to eat when they are plump and red all over.
How to make new strawberry plants
Strawberries are proporgated by runners. During August and September, strawberry plants will throw out runners which bear mini strawberry plants. Runners should be pegged down into the surrounding soil or into 3 inch pots. The new strawberry plants will soon have its own root system and can then be severed from it's parent plant.
Storing strawberries for later use
Strawberries can be frozen for out of season use, although they will not keep their shape. On defrosting they tend to go rather soggy and wet, ideal for making strawberry milkshakes etc, but not for decoration. The most common way to preserve strawberries is to make strawberry jam.
Recommended varieties of strawberries
Fragaria vesca: The woodland strawberry likes to be grown in full sun or partial shade. It is an hardy plant and is grown for its foliage as well as it's fruit.
'Elvira': This strawberry plant likes to be grown in full sun or partial shade, and is a heavy cropper. It produces large soft fruit from June through to early July.
'Baron Solemacher' : Better known as an Alpine strawberry, These plants form tiny fruits which are much loved in Europe, but unfortunately they are somewhat overlooked in Britain. The Baron Solemacher is a heavy cropper and the fruits can be eaten as a dessert or made into lovely homemade strawberry jam
Serving suggestion for strawberries.....
Strawberry Jam
Strawberry fool
Strawberry smoothie |
Growing Strawberries 
