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Strawberries

Strawberries

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa)

Strawberries are one of the most popular and rewarding fruits to grow at home, producing sweet, juicy berries in early summer. They are well suited to Irish conditions and can be grown outdoors or under cover in a greenhouse or polytunnel for earlier and often more reliable crops.

With careful variety selection and growing method, it is possible to enjoy strawberries over a long season from early summer through to autumn.

Types of Strawberries

  • Early Season – Fruit in early summer
  • Main Season – Crop in mid-summer
  • Late Season – Extend the harvest into late summer
  • Everbearing (Perpetual) – Produce smaller crops over a longer period

Growing Conditions

  • Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter - so add a decent application of well-rotted compost before planting.
  • Light: Full sun
  • Spacing: 30–45 cm between plants

Sowing & Planting

  • Strawberries are most commonly grown from young plants or runners. Seeds can be sown indoors from January to March in trays of compost but germination can be patchy and they will require a temperature of around 18ºC, so some kind of heat mat or heated propagator will be necessary for early sowings.. Cover your seeds thinly with sharp sand and prick seedlings out once they become large enough to handle. Pot on into small individual pots (7cm) and plant in their final position when they have a good root system. They will often start fruiting in their first year.
  • Plants can go out as early as January for those planted in a greenhouse or tunnel, otherwise outdoor plants can be put put in spring or autumn.
  • Ensure the crown sits just above soil level
  • Water well after planting
  • It can also be beneficial to plant through a wee suppressing material, like Hipex  that will allow water through to the roots but keep the fruit dry.

Outdoor Growing

Strawberries perform well outdoors in Ireland, particularly in a sunny, sheltered position with free-draining soil.

  • Plant in open ground, raised beds or containers
  • Mulch with straw or similar material to keep fruit clean
  • Use netting to protect from birds
  • Main harvest typically from June to July depending on variety

Growing Under Cover (Greenhouse/Polytunnel)

Growing strawberries under cover can provide earlier crops and improved fruit quality, particularly in wetter regions.

  • Ideal for growbags, pots or raised beds inside a tunnel or greenhouse
  • Provides protection from rain, reducing rot and disease
  • Allows earlier planting and extended harvesting season
  • Ensure good ventilation to prevent humidity build-up

Important: Strawberries grown under cover require regular watering, as rainfall is excluded, and care should be taken to avoid overcrowding which can reduce airflow.

Care & Maintenance

  • Water regularly, especially during flowering and fruiting
  • Feed in spring with a balanced fertiliser
  • Remove runners unless propagating new plants
  • Replace plants every 2–3 years for best yields

Growing in Containers

  • Ideal for pots, growbags and hanging baskets
  • Use good quality compost
  • Water frequently but make sure they don't become waterlogged.
  • Suitable for both outdoor and under cover growing

Harvesting

Harvest when fruits are fully red and ripe. Pick regularly to encourage continued production.

Varieties to Try

  • Elsanta – Reliable maincrop variety
  • Malling Centenary – Excellent flavour and yield
  • Albion – Everbearing variety for extended harvest

Common Problems

  • Slugs: Can damage ripening fruit (mainly outdoors)
  • Birds: Netting often required outdoors
  • Grey mould: More common in damp or poorly ventilated conditions - avoid watering in the evenings, choose the morning or daytime instead. Try to avoid the fruit resting on the ground, plant through weed fabric or mulch with straw.

Propagation

Strawberries can be propagated easily from runners taken from healthy plants, over one year old, in late summer. Fill a small pot with compost and where you see a small plant forming from a runner, peg it into the pot of compost using a bit of bent wire. Once the new plant starts to form root you can cut the runner and grow the plant on. In early to mid autumn, pot on to 15cm or 1L pots and position in the coldest spot of your garden until they can be planted out the following January or spring. This cold spell spurs on flowering for the following season.

Culinary Use

  • Eaten fresh
  • Desserts and baking
  • Jams and preserves
  • Smoothies

Recipe – Simple Strawberry Compote

Ingredients

300g strawberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

  • Heat gently in a pan until softened.
  • Stir and simmer briefly.
  • Cool and serve with yoghurt or desserts.

Simple seasonal recipe.

Nutritional Information

  • High in vitamin C
  • Contains antioxidants
  • Low in calories