Strawberry

Light and exposure

The strawberry wants sun to produce sweet fruit, at least six hours a day. A sunny spot, sheltered from cold winds, suits it perfectly. In too shady a situation, it makes plenty of leaves and few strawberries, often bland.

Under our climate, a south or south-west exposure makes the most of our limited sunshine. Everbearing varieties, which produce a second wave at the end of summer, particularly appreciate a good exposure to ripen before the damp autumn.

Watering

The strawberry has shallow roots and needs regular watering, especially during the formation and swelling of the fruit. A lack of water at that moment gives small strawberries. Water at the base, never on the fruit or the foliage, preferably early in the morning.

Excess water and moisture at the crown are just as dangerous as drought: they rot the plant and encourage botrytis. Mulch helps keep an even moisture while holding the fruit dry, away from contact with the soil.

Soil and repotting

The strawberry likes a soil rich in humus, light, fresh and above all well drained, slightly acidic for preference. Enrich the bed with mature compost before planting. It hates heavy, waterlogged soils, where its roots suffocate.

In the clayey, damp soils of the Herve area, plant preferably on mounds or raised beds to drain off excess water, especially in winter. Good drainage is the key to avoiding rot of the roots and crown during the bad season.

Temperature and humidity

The strawberry is a hardy perennial that copes well with our winters. Cold does not worry it, it loses part of its foliage and starts again in spring. It even needs a period of winter cold to flower well afterwards.

Under the Belgian climate, the real risk is not cold but the late frosts of April and early May, which can burn the first flowers and compromise part of the harvest. If flowers are already open when a night frost is forecast, cover the bed with a horticultural fleece for the night. The winter moisture of our soils remains its main constraint, hence the importance of drainage.

Pruning and upkeep

Caring for the strawberry mainly comes down to managing the runners, those long stems that set off from the plants and root nearby. During the season, cut them back regularly so the plant concentrates its energy on the fruit rather than on its multiplication. Keep only a few at the end of summer if you want to make new plants.

After the harvest, clean up the plants by removing damaged, yellowed or diseased leaves, to air the heart of the clump and limit diseases. In late autumn, a light clean-up and the removal of old leaves prepare the plant for winter.

Pests and diseases

Two fungi lie in wait for the strawberry under our damp climate. Botrytis, or grey mould (Botrytis cinerea), covers the fruit with a grey felt and makes it rot on the plant in mild, humid weather. Powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) marks the underside of the leaves and the fruit with a white felt. Against both, ventilation is your best weapon: space out the plants, weed, mulch to keep the fruit off the ground.

As for pests, slugs love ripe strawberries at ground level, and birds help themselves readily. A straw mulch keeps the fruit clean, and a net protects it from blackbirds. Renew the planting every three years, as old plants accumulate viruses and diseases and produce less and less.

Propagation

The strawberry multiplies very easily through its runners, without buying anything. At the end of summer, spot the well-formed daughter plants at the tip of the runners, those that already have a few roots. Let them root, holding them to the ground if need be, then cut the link with the mother plant and transplant them to their final spot in September.

This regular renewal keeps the strawberry bed vigorous. Always take runners from healthy, productive plants, never from diseased or tired ones. The youngest plants, one or two years old, are the most generous.

Month-by-month care calendar

Green Hub tips

• Plant at the end of summer, in August or September: the plants root before winter and produce from the following spring.
• Mulch under the strawberries as soon as the fruit forms: they stay clean, dry, and botrytis has much less of a hold.
• Renew the strawberry bed every three years with the runners of healthy plants: old plants wear out and accumulate diseases.
• In our heavy, damp soil, plant on a mound: the strawberry hates having its feet in water all winter.