Growing strawberries

Strawberries: which variety to choose?

There are many varieties of strawberries, grouped into different categories: the four-season strawberries, the perpetual ones, and the non-perpetual ones…

To make the right choice, it is important to know that:

• the wood or four-season strawberries produce from June to October. These are small, highly fragrant fruits, perfect for snacking right after harvest!
• the non-perpetual large-fruited varieties bloom only once a year in spring. They produce very large fruits around June: this grouped harvest will allow you to make coulis, sorbets, or jams.
• the perpetual large-fruited varieties bloom twice a year or continuously. They offer large fruits from June until October: you can thus pick strawberries in small quantities but regularly over several months.

Moreover, the varieties are also distinguished by their earliness, the taste of the fruits, their yield, and their size… The ideal is to combine different varieties to achieve a harvest that is both abundant and tasty over several months!

The location and good companions for strawberry plants

To plant your young plants, choose:

• a sunny spot for the varieties with large fruits,
• a semi-shaded area for woodland strawberries.

Young plants are perennial and remain in place for 3 to 4 years. They can be grown both in open ground and in pots, which can be placed on a terrace or balcony.

In the vegetable garden, young plants are good companions for garlic, beans, lettuce, onions, leeks, thyme, and spinach. However, they do not appreciate the company of cabbages and other brassicas.

Planting: when and how to proceed?

Planting strawberries with large fruits, whether perpetual or not, is preferably done in autumn. Conversely, four-season strawberries are planted in spring.

Strawberries thrive in rich, deep, well-drained, slightly acidic soils.

A few months before planting, loosen the soil and add a generous amount of well-matured compost.

If your soil is calcareous, add turf and then plan for a mulch made from acidic materials (thorns or pine bark…).

To plant:

• Remove any adventive plants and stones present in the soil. When planting, pay attention to the positioning of the collar: it should be level with the soil, neither too high nor too low to ensure good establishment.
• In open ground, space the plants 35 cm apart in all directions.
• If your soil is wet, plant the plants on mounds 10 to 20 cm high.
• In pots, remember to place a layer of gravel or clay balls at the bottom to facilitate drainage.

Properly caring for and maintaining strawberry plants

To maintain and care for your strawberry plants:

• Weed regularly.
• Mulch around the plants in summer to keep the soil cool.
• Install a protection net before the fruits turn red to avoid sharing your harvest with birds… You can also place ash or coffee grounds near the young plants to deter slugs and snails.
• Water regularly, especially during hot weather.
• In summer, regularly remove the runners that tend to exhaust the mother plant.
• In autumn, remove the dry leaves.
• Add compost to the surface in spring.
• In cooler regions, set up a tunnel in spring to protect the plants from spring frosts during flowering.

Multiplying strawberry plants

Plants should be renewed every 3 to 4 years when they become less productive.

Large-fruited strawberries multiply through runners, small creeping stems that naturally root in the soil, forming new plants. To avoid exhausting the mother plant, cut the runners and replant them where you wish to establish the new strawberry patch.

Wild strawberry varieties do not produce runners. You can multiply them by clump division.

In terms of crop rotation, wait 4 years before replanting strawberry plants in the same location.