Attractive low growing bushy plants, with white flowers and hanging stems of luscious fruits. Strawberries look good in pots, planters and hanging baskets. They will thrive outdoors, in a sunny spot for ripening the fruits.Buy young plants to put into your pots. They can crop for 2 or 3 years.

Home grown strawberries rarely make it into the kitchen, let alone into a bowl. They are delicious straight from the plant. Start with an ‘everbearer’, a variety which crops from early July to autumn.

Strawberries

Suggested pot size: 4 plants in a hanging basket, 35cm diameter. 3 plants in a 30 x 30cm pot.

The One Pot Pledge® concept was devised by Food Up Front, the urban food growing network. Trade Mark registered to Food Up Front. Garden Organic is a registered charity no.298104

All strawberry varieties can be grown in pots.Some ‘everbearers ’ to try: Aromel’ – medium-sized, well-flavoured berries.‘Calypso’ – crops in June and again in late summerRemove early flowers for a better autumn crop‘Everest’ - reliable and steady cropper‘Flamenco’ - medium to large berries; crops late August/early September

Growing tipsBuy plants either growing in small pots, or as ‘bare root’ plants (bought by mail order).Plant in autumn for the best crop next year. If you plant in spring or summer, remove all the flowers for the first 6 weeks so the plant has time to grow good roots. Hard to do, but worth the wait!

Compost to use: Potting compost, organic and peat-free. A loam based mix is best.

Watering tips: Keep compost moist, but don’t over water. Too much water will spoil the flavour.

Support: None needed

Protection: May need to be covered with a net when the fruits are ripening to stop the birds eating them.

Feeding: Use an organic liquid tomato feed once fruits start to form.

Strawberries

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Plant pot grown plants

Plant bare root plants

Harvest

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Plant

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1. Put a 3cm layer of large gravel or broken up polystyrene into the bottom of a pot.

2. Fill pot to within 3cm of the rim with moist compost and firm down gently.

3. Pot grown plants - turn the pot upside down and gently tap the plant and soil out. Plant it into the bigger pot. Bare rooted plants - spread the roots out as you plant.

4. In both cases do not bury the plants too deep. The ‘crown’, where the leaves emerge, should be just above soil level.

5. Water well and recheck the depth of planting.

Pick the strawberry fruits when red. They develop their real flavour when really ripe. Enjoy.

Remove any flowers that may appear over the next 6 weeks.

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