Why Are Strawbs Not Fruiting?

Anne Swithinbank's masterclass on: non-fruiting strawberries

- Anne Swithinbank

Q I have tried buying strawberries in pots and ordering them through the post, but they don’t take well and soon turn into a mass of small plants with hardly any fruit. My parents used to have so much fruit we’d have to turn some into jam. Where am I going wrong?

Penny Keegan, Sittingbourne, Kent

A For a seemingly straightforward fruit, strawberries can be a puzzle. These herbaceous perennials have a fruiting life of thee-five years before they are replaced with healthy rooted runners raised from existing plants, or new ones bought in and certified as disease-free. On light, sandy soil, strawberries might overwinter better, but need more watering and feeding. On heavier clay soils, poor drainage and winter wet sometimes rot the centre of good clumps, fragmenting them into smaller sections come spring. Heavy rainfall washes nutrients away, making the February dose of high potash fertiliser (traditionally sulphate of potash) important. Apply this to moist soil cleared of weeds and follow with a mulch of well-rotted compost.