Summer of Strawberries

In the second of a two-part series, Lucy Chamberlain reveals the best strawberry varieties for taste and yield, and provides a care guide to get the most from your plants

- By Lucy Chamberlain. Photographs by Neil Hepworth

Whether you grow strawberries in open ground, baskets, barrels or troughs, nothing beats the taste of homegrown, and air miles become non-existent. But there can be considerable variation in performance between varieties, and the yield of modern types often far exceeds that of more traditional types. Flavour, too, varies significantly from variety to variety, and then there's the difference between summer and perpetual types.

With all this uncertainty, wouldn't it be reassuring to know which varieties and growing methods perform best? That was my objective last year when I trialled a dozen varieties, assessing them for yield, flavour and ease of cultivation. By recording the yields of each variety, I can also reveal which plants give the biggest crop. So, whether you want to grow traditional summer strawberries for June and July harvests, or perpetual varieties for pickings well into autumn, I'll help you discover your route to easy, bumper and (most importantly) delicious harvests.

How we tested

Plants assessed were one-year-old runners, which yield modestly in their first year (expect 200g per plant). Harvests in the second and third year will be more sizeable (450g per plant is common), and their cropping season will become more settled. All were grown in 1.2m x 20cm x 25cm troughs, five plants per trough.

Early summer varieties

Great for forcing in pots in a heated greenhouse for an extra-early crop (mid-April to May). Yields can be lower than later varieties. Protect flowering plants from frosts. Good sunlight levels are essential for a sweet flavour.

'Christine'