Grow your own strawberries (Strawberries)

Member Name: lubyloo

Product:	Strawberries
Date:	17/07/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to look after

Disadvantages: Can get eaten by bugs

Strawberrys you can't beat them, they are so juicy and lovely and fresh. I love plain strawberry's and cream but you can also pop them on top of merrange nests or shortbread. They are also lovely in a flan with strawberry jelly.

Homemade strawberry milkshake or smoothies are lovely, I've also made ice lollies with strawberry milkshake.

The best way is fresh, I have a few plants they are so easy to keep, buy a summer fruiting variety - Cambridge favourite is a good one. Choose a nice sunny spot and plant them out, you'll probably need a good 10 plants to get a nice crop.

At the beginning of the season around May time, start putting straw all round and gently underneath the plants so that the strawberry's rest on the straw - it stops them getting all soggy when it rains and also I don't think as many slugs get to them. At first when the strawberry's come through they are green, at this point get some netting and cover them so that the birds can't get to them - we're not the only ones who like strawberry's!!

it's as simple as that, then go out every few days and pick your strawberry's they keep in the fridge so sometimes I pick them one day and add to them and eat them all the next day.

My mum grew strawberry's when I was little I can remember us going out together to pick strawberry's and now I do it with my girls, it really helps children know where their food comes from and they're such easy plants to look after.

They need no looking after in the winter, once you've had the last of your strawberry's remove the straw and look for any suckers coming off the plants (long stems with a little plant along it) those suckers can be planted into pots or put straight into the ground where you want them and become more strawberry plants.

The first year you won't have many strawberry's because they take a year to get established but roll on next year when you'll have a feast!

I don't use any sprays on mine, some do get eaten but one for them and one for me is my philosophy, I'd rather mine not be covered in sprays!! slug pellets round about will help with the slug problem as they are the biggest pest.

Summary: A lovely way to enjoy strawberries