How to grow strawberries

1. It is important to plant strawberries at the right level. The crown, which is the bit where the root and stem meet, should be level with the soil and not too deep. If the crown is buried, it can cause rot, particularly if the soil is not well drained or during a wet summer.
2. The fruit needs to be protected from soil splashes a mulch of straw or hay will do. I like to use Strulch, which is a light, organic and an ideal mulch for strawberries. To protect the fruit cover the area with a mulch as shown in the middle image above.  The Strulch/mulch needs to surround the plant so that the leaves and fruit are lifted above soil level. The image above right shows the strawberry bed mulched with Strulch.
3. If you have time, feed with liquid feed from spring onward. Tomato feed is ideal. When feeding and watering, it's important to avoid splashing the leaves which encourage fungal diseases such as Botrytis.
4. If you are planting strawberries into containers, plant about 5 plants into a 30 cm/12" container. At the end of the growing season, trim down all the leaves and runners (except those used for new plants see below) and feed. The plants will quickly put on new growth.
5.   You can grow Strawberries in a hanging basket, and here are some tips and growing advice. 

 Netting of some sort is inevitable because birds will eat the fruit. Fruit cages are good but they can be expensive. it is easy to make a homemade cage constructed from bamboo sticks, simple connecting joints sold at DIY stores (image below) with net over the top secured in the ground by tent pegs. The netting needs to be raised above the strawberry plants, as the birds will still peck at the fruit if the net is on top of the plants. Also if the netting is too close the plants will grow through the net becoming entangled making it hard to remove and pick the fruit. When making the cage, push the bamboo canes in as far as they will go to withstand the summer gales. 

Image below left shows the home made fruit cage, which requires no DIY skills( I have none.)

Strawberries which the RHS has tried and tested as giving good yields and flavours are 'Alice' 'Cambridge Favourite' 'Hapil' and 'Pegasus' together with those listed below as ideal for containers. I have also had good crops with sweet, tasty fruit from 'Albion' 'Red Gauntlet' along with 'Symphony' and 'Honeoye'

Strawberries are an ideal crop to grow in containers, including hanging baskets. Place the container in a sunny spot, and because containers are a smaller environment, (which dry out more easily,) the plants will need regular watering and feeding.

In 2016-2017 the RHS conducted trials to establish the best varieties of strawberries to grow in containers, which included hanging baskets and grow bags. There are some advantages to growing in hanging baskets and grow bags as they are raised from the ground, which means the crop is kept away from ants, which can be a pest, and there is better air circulation to reduce problems with Botrytis. In addition, the fruit is cleaner when it is not directly on the soil.

Video on YouTube about Growing Strawberries in hanging baskets.

Those which already have the RHS award are 'Cambridge Favourite' 'Honeoye', 'Pegasus', 'Rhapsody' and 'Symphony'. For grow bags the trial found the best varieties to be 'Finesse' 'Florence' and 'Vibrant' and 'Evie 3' all of which have the AGM award. A suggested suggested variety for hanging baskets (none of which have the AGM)  'Delizz' (Liza) .'Eros' and 'Mae' are reported to be more disease resistant, 'Elegance' and 'Sweet Colossus' large crops and fruit.

These are all good ideas, but sometimes you have to buy what you can get and any variety of strawberry will grow well in a container.

Alpine and wild strawberries have become popular, even trendy. They are tiny, delicate strawberries. If you grow this variety, a word of warning. Strawberries are a vigorous plant and wild berries are even more so. Some years ago I was given a batch of Alpine Strawberries. At the time, having I had nowhere to plant them being in a new garden not yet laid out.  I temporarily put them in a part of a border to move them later, which I did. 

Years later, I am still weeding wild strawberry plants out of the borders, where they root mercilessly, and are almost impossible to eradicate.  I recommend if you want to grow wild strawberries to make sure they cannot escape their planting area and they would be ideal for container planting.

To ensure good fruiting strawberries, need a period of cold during the winter. By about February, it is possible to warm up the soil and plants to bring on an earlier crop. By covering the plants with a cloche, you can raise an earlier crop.

Early in the season, pick over the plants to remove any dead or diseased leaves and stray runners. Make sure the area is clear of weeds and add some new compost. Cover the area with a cloche and early in the season, I would also seal the ends of the cloche for maximum warmth. As the season warms up, remove the cloche ends and later remove the cloche altogether on warm days to allow air and the pollinators in.

Lift and water under the cloche to keep the plants well hydrated.  Placing a cloche over the strawberries,early in the season, does make a difference to get an earlier crop. 

The most common disease with strawberries is botrytis, grey mould which is more of a problem in cool, wet summers. Commercial strawberry growers often spray with fungicides to prevent Botrytis but the problem is more tricky for gardeners. Botrytis lives in dead plant tissue, such as old strawberry leaves and leaf stalks provide material for the fungus to live on and to produce spores. The infection starts during the flowering period, (although it is not visible) although the disease remains inactive until the fruit develops. It causes the fruits to rot, as shown in the image below right. 

If Botrytis strikes, cut off all infected leaves, together with any leaves showing signs of discolouration, and remove infected fruit. Clear up around all plants to remove any decaying leaves. Increase air circulation by removing some extra (healthy) leaves, stake the plants to keep upright, and allow the air to circulate and hope for a dry spell for the plants to recover.

The images below show you can cut off a good amount of the leaves, strawberries are vigorous plants, and as you remove leaves, you will see at the base of the plant fresh leaves growing so be bold to try to stop the infection. Botrytis will attack all parts of the Strawberry plant and the fruit will rot before it ripens, very frustrating and given our propensity to wet summers, it can be a problem. As always with plant diseases, do not compost the leaves and waste material.

Strawberry plants only live for 4-5 years and so if it is a severe attack, and the plants are getting elderly, consider if this is time to replace them. More about this problem: Sunday Gardener's Blog Growing Strawberries and Botrytis.