Newly planted strawberries

The Strawberry Calendar

The strawberry fruiting season is traditionally only a few weeks in June and July. We spread the season out as long as possible by growing early, mid season and late varieties. Some varieties of plant are covered with fleece in February to bring the fruit on earlier; others are covered with a deep blanket of straw to slow them down.

Strawberries are planted in autumn or spring and by early May, the first blossoms are appearing. Plants are de-blossomed in their first year to focus energy on the plant growing; mature plants are strawed underneath once the blossom appears. This protects the fruit from getting dirty and makes it easier for you pickers once you're down on your knees, foraging!

Once strawed, the fruit is more susceptible to frost damage. Frost damage can be evident in many different ways. If the frost hits when the blossom is out, then it can kill the fruit off completely and wipe the whole crop out. If the blossom has dropped and the green fruit has started to form, then it could affect the shape or flavour later on. The 'black eye' of a frost-damaged blossom is shown in the picture below.

Frost Damage to Strawberry blossom

Clearly, the weather is all-important at this time of year. At the prospect of night frost, enormous sheets of fleece (which look like baby wipes) are dragged across the crop to create a warm space underneath to protect the fruit.

The strawberries' fate is in the hands of the British summer weather. Lots of sunshine ripens the fruit up nicely, but the plants need irrigating to plump up. Too much rain for too long can make the whole farm smell like jam.

After the crop has been picked, the plants are mown off and the process of regeneration starts again. The crowns build up during autumn ready for the next year.