Strawberry plants are most productive in their first and second year, but after three years, fruit production starts to slow down. To ensure a continual succession of cropping it is good practice to replace plants after this time.

Planting

• Typically, you need to divide and replant strawberry plants, or buy new ones during late May, June and early July. Dividing your plants now (September) means you won’t be picking strawberries until closer to Christmas time. 
• Try replacing or adding to your existing plants with a variety called Temptation. This is a ‘day neutral’ variety which means it will flower and fruit while the temperature and conditions are suitable e.g between 0 to 30 degrees.
• Learn more about what strawberry varieties to grow in our guide here.

Best Planting Location

• Strawberry plants thrive in a sunny warm position. 
• Enrich the soil before planting by adding Garden Time™ Strawberry Mix and compost and work it in to about 1 ½ spades deep.
• Plant into mounded soil in rows running north to south, spacing individual plants about 100-150mm apart. 

Feeding Plants

• Feed plants with Garden Time™ Strawberry Fertiliser from late Sept/early October, through till early December. 
• Remove any young flowers until early October as fruit formed before this date will be of poor size and taste. 
• Mulch plants with pea straw or clean crushed bark as they begin fruiting. 

Gathering Runners

• Next late autumn/early winter, divide and remove runners (baby strawberry plants) that grow from your existing “mother” plant and plant them out for the following season strawberries. 
• If purchasing new plants, choose a number of different named varieties as this will extend the harvesting season.