Organic garden update-Harvesting the strawberries

This year we have a bumper crop of strawberries and I do love strawberries! We started with just a few plants donated by a fellow allotment owner in autumn '15 and those few plants have made a good sized strawberry patch.  Strawberries plants can be planted in autumn and spring and because strawberries put out runners a few plants will soon fill a patch. They put out runners which then grow into new plants so that means that people on an allotment usually have some to spare.

strawberries growing on the allotment 

If you want to start a strawberry patch in a garden or an allotment choose a sunny but sheltered spot and fertilse with well rotted manure.  You can also grow strawberries in a pot. They will spread so plant them 18 inches apart and allow 30 inches between rows. There are two types of strawberries - summer fruiting and perpetual which produce fruit from early summer to early autumn.  When the fruits start to appear, place straw under the strawberries to stop the soil rotting the fruits.  Once the fruits start to redden, you need to cover them with netting or the birds will take your harvest.  

We have found strawberries easy to grow - we have a crop of luscious fruits without the need for pesticides. Supermarkets don't tend to keep organic strawberries because they need to be eaten quite quickly after picking - which is not a problem with us!  It is well worth growing some to enjoy a taste of summer while at the same time knowing you are not adding toxins to your body. Enjoy them just as they are in fruit salads, on your morning oats, or in smoothies or maybe try my Strawberry shortcake sundaes. For the recipe please see 'It's strawberry season!'

strawberry shortcake sundaes

Have a great summer! 

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