Topic: How to extend the season for strawberries?

[cropping]

Hello,

Would anyone have any tips on how to extend the season for strawberries? I love strawberries and I would be very happy to find ways to get early and late strawberries.

Thanks for any tip!

[Tiny Clanger]

Different varieties crop at different times, some early some later. I believe there are some perpetual ones too. Have a bit of a nosey on line. Ours are new. Grew Fiesta from seed but this will be their first season. 

[Beersmith]

Mr Clanger has it correct.  Different varieties is the only realistic possibility.  Strawberries are a total delight but I find part of the magic is that they are there for a few glorious weeks and then gone until the next year.  A bit sad I suppose but in compensation only a tiny delay before the raspberries start, then the white currants, then the cherries, etc, etc.

[cropping]

Thanks Beersmiths & Clangers,

I found that my local garden centres are quite limited in terms of choice... Maybe I could buy seeds online and grow from seeds? How long do strawberries needs to grow from seeds? Will they give fruits in the same year?

Cheers

[Beersmith]

Growing from seeds is certainly possible but will slow down production somewhat.  A strawberry bed will probably only be productive for three or four seasons after that the best plan is to start a fresh bed.  Once established this can be done by pegging down runners from your existing bed and transplanting once a root system has developed.  So there is no need long term to spend much on new plants.

But for your first bed buying new plants is the only sensible option.  Make good use of the next few weeks to make sure the chosen area is weed free, especially free of perennial weeds. Early spring is a good time to plant new strawberries and you can certainly expect a crop this year.  With some TLC and good weather a decent crop too, although maximum cropping might need another year. 

I would look for an on line supplier, but it has been some years since I needed to buy new plants so could not make any recommendations with confidence. An hour or two spent browsing will throw up lots of early mid season and late varieties with excellent flavour too.

Other contributers will probably have experience of the best places to buy from.

[Tulipa]

Hi Cropping, I agree with Beersmith on treasuring the strawberries in season so you can look forward to the next different crop, people do manage with polytunnels etc to prolong the growing season and also by growing early and late varieties.  I often pop up when people discuss which ones to plant as I love Marshmello sold by Marshalls seeds, it has a beautiful flavour and was developed for supermarkets but doesn't keep well enough for them but does brilliantly for gardens and allotments so our bonus as our plant to table time is a lot quicker, if they even make it home. I also would buy plants quite soon as you can get them bare rooted at this time of year and then can increase your plants as Beersmith says later in the season with the runners.  I have grown other varieties and the best I liked were Royal Sovereign and Cambridge favourite.  I am sure others will come with their suggestions.... :)

[Tulipa]

Oh I just googled Marshmello and you can get them from lots of places now, the plant breeders rights must have expired but I definitely had good plants from Marshalls.

[Deb P]

I got my new plants from Marshalls in 2021 and got 12 plants of 3 different varieties in their ‘ extended season’ offer. Last year I was picking strawberries from July to November. The best tip I can give you is to net your plants early….last year I netted the plants as soon as the first lot started forming green fruit……I now realise I had been losing a lot of the crop to birds previously by netting too late!

[cropping]

Hello everybody,

Thanks for all your good advice. I didn't realise you could buy actual plants online. I found this "Marshalls" online shop and it has a lot of variety, much more than what could you can find in your local garden centre.

Cheers!

[Tulipa]

Hi Cropping, yes, spoilt for choice there!  Hope you manage to get some.  If you are not quite ready you can always pop them in a spare patch of soil for a couple of weeks while they are dormant.  They travel quite well bare rooted!

[Beersmith]

If you ever shop at Lidl, keep an eye open for offers in early March.  I once bought a dozen young strawberry plants there.  They were excellent plants, inexpensive and a good variety.  Korona if my memory serves me correctly.  Great flavour and the fruits are absolutely huge.

The problem is knowing when and where Lidl might carry such stock.  You wouldn't want to fail to order elsewhere and then be disappointed.