April is an important month for gardeners who are aiming for a delicious bumper crop of strawberries this year. But if you’re unsure what tasks need to be completed, don’t worry, as garden experts have revealed six key tasks for your best harvest yet.
Who doesn’t want to know how to grow strawberries at home? The delicious fruits are a British Summertime essential, and if you’re fed up with spending supermarket prices on these berries, why not grow your own?
However, for the best results, your strawberry plants need a little extra TLC in April. These are the key tasks the experts say you should complete this month for a successful, sweeter strawberry season – so you’re not left wondering: ‘Why is my strawberry plant not producing any fruit?’
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1. Tidy up the plant
Whether you have chosen to grow strawberries from shop-bought fruit, containers or flower beds, you’ll need to give the plant a tidy up this month to remove old growth and allow new growth to flourish.
‘If you have older strawberry plants, in April you should remove dead, diseased, damaged or older leaves, and clear away any debris around the base of the plant,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert from LBS Horticulture.
‘Excess plant material from previous years can harbour diseases, or create the ideal home for pests that have overwintered in older foliage. Use a clean pair of secateurs to trim old foliage, and leave behind a few inches of top growth, taking care not to damage any new emerging growth.’
Richard also explains that if you have summer-flowering strawberries, it can also be beneficial to remove their first flowers.
‘If you are growing summer-fruiting strawberries, you should only remove the first flush of flowers if growth slows or the plant appears weak. Perpetual strawberries will grow better if their first flowers are removed if they were planted in springtime, with plants grown in summer or autumn only needing the first flowers removed if they have poor growth,’ he says.
2. Weeding
Next up is weeding, which removes competition for vital nutrients, allowing your strawberry plants to flourish. My top tip for this is to use a weed pad (such as this foldable garden kneeler, £14.47, Amazon), which protects knees from any aches and pains. You really shouldn’t underestimate how physical gardening can sometimes be!
‘April is a good time to remove young weeds before they have the chance to spread seed, and it is better to keep on top of weeds early before their main growing season begins,’ says Richard.
Weeding is also a helpful opportunity to remove and prevent pests. Penny Hemming, Head Gardener at The Riverford Field Kitchen, says it’s a good idea to remove any slugs you come across whilst weeding, and that you should keep on top of weeding, if you want to keep your strawberry plants free from nibbles.
‘Keeping the bed weed-free will help to prevent slugs,’ she adds.
3. Add fertiliser
‘April is when temperatures usually increase enough for strawberries to begin growing, making it a good time to fertilise plants. Give strawberry plants a balanced, slow-release fertiliser, and avoid fertilisers high in nitrogen as this can encourage the plant to produce foliage instead of fruit,’ says Richard.
Feeding your strawberry plants will help encourage growth; however, Penny points out that some are better than others.
‘You can give the plants an extra boost in spring using a high potash liquid feed, for example, Comfrey Liquid Concentrate (£12 at Amazon) diluted with water or a good tomato fertiliser,’ she says.
4. Remove mulch from last year
If you had winterised your strawberries last year, then it is now time to remove that old layer of mulch and replace it.
‘Whilst the mulch has done its job over the winter months, if you don’t remove it in April and replace it with new mulch, then the soil will not warm up as quickly, so your strawberry plants would be delayed in starting to grow again, and harvesting would be later. It could also lead to mould and crown rot if the mulch remains in place and simply retains so much moisture that it becomes the perfect environment for fungal diseases to thrive,’ says Lucie Bradley, gardens and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.
‘Once you have removed the old mulch from around your plants, check the strawberry plants to ensure they are disease-free – if they are, you can then add the old mulch to your compost heap where it can continue to decompose and be recycled as garden compost.’
Then, it’s time to lay fresh mulch.
‘Spread some compost from your compost heap and/or some well-rotted dung around the base of the crowns to give your plants a boost of nutrients,’ says Penny.
‘Get some clean, dry straw and place this around the base of the plants on top of the compost/dung. Doing this will help to prevent the fruits from touching the soil and getting muddy and possibly rotting off.’
5. Protect your plants from last frost
We may be in April, but it’s not too late in the year for the weather to drop and frosts make an appearance – so you need to be prepared to keep your plants warm if you’re not growing strawberries indoors.
‘Although strawberry plants can survive late frosts, the flowers that they produce cannot. Any flowers that have opened can die off if temperatures dip again, so monitor the weather forecast closely and cover plants with cloches. The plants should be covered in the afternoon ahead of a colder night, and then remove any coverings when temperatures rise again during the day so that pollinators can access the flowers,’ says Richard.
It is beneficial to invest in a horticultural fleece (£16.99 at B&Q) to keep your strawberries toasty when the temperatures do drop.
6. Water regularly
Strawberry plants are pretty thirsty, so make sure you water them regularly.
‘New strawberry plants should be watered regularly while they are establishing, and all strawberry plants should be watered regularly during prolonged dry weather in their growing season,’ says Richard.
‘Any plants growing in containers will need to be watered more often, as their compost will dry out faster. When watering, avoid getting the crown of the plant wet, as this can lead to fungal diseases. Watering in the morning can also help to protect the plant against fungal diseases, as it will have plenty of time to dry out during the day.’
Care essentials
Raw and Pure
Natural Plant Feed – Comfrey Concentrate – Organic Liquid Fertiliser (1 Litre)
Penny recommends this fertiliser for feeding your strawberry plants this month.
Astbury’s H&G
Astbury’s H&g Plant Protection Fleece – 2m X 10m (17gsm)
It’s a good idea to stock up on horticultural fleece in spring as temperatures can suddenly drop. Use to protect your strawberry plants on chilly nights.
Crystals
Heavy Duty Portable Foldable Foam Padded Garden Kneeler
Save your knees when weeding this spring with this comfy kneeler. It doubles up as a stool and even has an attachable tool bag.
Completing these six vital tasks in April will help contribute to happy, fruiting strawberry plants that can go straight from the garden to your table.
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