Kitchen Garden Magazine August 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**
An ew chapter
Youmay have seen in the July issue that I’d be taking over as editor –and I’m delighted to be writing to you now in my first issue. I’ve worked on several gardening and seasonal titles over the years, and it’s areal pleasuretojoin the Kitchen Garden team.
I’d like to take amoment to thank Steve for his time leading the magazine, and for helping to ensuresuch asmoothhandover.His passion for growing came through in every issue, and set ahigh bar to follow.
Emma and Tony arealso moving on afterthis issue, and Iwant to thank them for theknowledge, enthusiasm and personality they’ve brought to themagazine over the years. They’ll be greatly missed by everyone who’sworked with them –and I’m surebymany of you, too. Iwishthem all the very bestintheir futureendeavours.
This month’sissue is packedwith expertadvice andseasonal knowhow: Ben Vanheems celebrates perennial veg; MartinFish shares end-of-season tips for strawberries;Rob Smithhas some great berry preservation ideas, and David Patchexplains how to prune summerfruiting trees.Wehear from acommunityproject that transformed aneglected alley into aproductivesocialspace, andlear nhow to make natural skincareproducts from common plants. It’salso the launch of our 2026 TopPlottercompetition… could YOUbe awinner?
Theremay havebeen afew changes behind the scenes,but the heart of Kitchen Garden remains the same –practical advice, seasonal inspiration and acelebration of all things home-grown. Ican’twait to sharethe months ahead with you.
Rachel Graham,editor
6 JOBS FOR THE MONTH ✪
In the garden this month Stephanie Hafferty is harvesting herbs and onions, protecting brassicas from cabbage whites, sowing winter salads and feeding hungry summer veg
10 WHAT’S NEW?
Catch up on the latest news, events and advice from the world of kitchen gardening
12 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
KG readers sharetheirexperiences and offer their toptips for better crops
14 QUESTIONTIME
Our team of experts answer your urgent gardening questions
26 KG TOP PLOTTER
We visit Helen Westwood’sScottish plot
30 ARE YOU AWINNER?
Could YOU be one of Kitchen Garden’s TopPlotters? Simply answer the questions and send us some photostobeinwith achance of winning ashareofover £1,200-worth of prizes
38 MEET THE BLOGGER ✪
Yasmine El-Gabry is the
force behind
50 NEXT MONTH
Highlights and news of your great free gifts for September
80 LAST WORD
We have an update on the restoration of Croome Court gardens in Worcestershire
GET GROWING
16 STRAWBERRIES ✪
Gardening expert Martin Fishexplains how to prepareyourstrawberry beds forbigger cropsnextyear
22 BEYOND THEPLOT… SUPER BERRIES ✪
Rob Smith makes the most of abumper berry harvest with some delicious tips and recipes for you to try
32 PERENNIAL PLEASERS ✪
Benedict Vanheems highlights some perennial veg that come back stronger each season, offering low-maintenance harvests and year-round charm
36 KG KNOW-HOW
Natural slug control doesn’tneed toinvolve torches, wellies and abucket.Thereare plenty of less manual options!
42 GOING ORGANIC
Dr Anton Rosenfeld of Garden Organic explainshow to set about tackling your new plot organically
Delicious recipes featuring squash, strawberries and sage ✪
46 ROOTIN’ AROUND
Discover some unusual roots that are definitely worth trying, from edibledahlias to intriguing tiger nuts, and delicate Chinese artichokes
51 THE NEXT GENERATION
Conservation and ecology expert Anna Haines explains what an enriching experience taking on an allotment has been for her young family
56 GYOSKINCARE
Becky Searle puts some common plantsto work as skinand haircareproducts
59 REUSE,RECYCLE,RECLAIM ✪
Olga Grieves shares some tips on saving money and helping to reducethe carbon footprint of your plot
70 THE FIRST CUT ✪
Our fruit expert David Patch takes alook at the best ways to prune your summer fruit trees to control their size and increase productivity
Scan this,and we’lltellyou!
WHATTOBUY
62 PRODUCT REVIEWS
This month we take alook at arange of products for your kitchen
66 GREATGIVEAWAYS WORTH MORE THAN £1,000
Win prizes including acordless lawnmower
67 GIVEAWAYCOUPON PLUS SEED SUPPLIERS
68 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS
Achance for KG subscribers to take advantage of some exclusiveoffers
FAUGUS
FORYOURVEG PATCH AND PROTECTED CROPS
STEPHANIE HAFFERTY OUTLINES THEESSENTIAL TASKS
PICK BEANS
Keep picking beans, checking the plants every three or four days. This encourages the bean plants to keep producing more pods over alonger period of time
HARVEST SWEETCORN
Sweetcorn is ready to harvest when the silksturn brown. Make surebypulling back a little of the husk and pushing anail into akernel. If amilky liquid emerges, then the cob is ready to eat
SOW ONIONS
Sow over-wintering onions such as ‘Augusta’ mid-month. They’ll remain quite small until February next year,when they’ll start growing with enthusiasm
CHECK MELONS
Check whether melons areripe by smelling them! If they have asweet, fruity aroma, then the fruit is ready to pick. If you’regrowing watermelons, after eating the flesh use the skins to make tasty pickled watermelon rind
HRVS HRBS FWITE
Remember to keep harvesting and drying home-grown herbs for winter use! It’seasy to forget in the busy-ness of August harvesting, but is so easy and worthwhile. Jars filled with fragrant herbs areawelcome reminder of summer months during wintertime, adding gorgeous flavours to meals.
Dried herbs such as lemon verbena, chamomile, lemon balm and mint make delicious herbal teas, too. As well as being a culinary herb, and amazing when infused in sugar,lavender flowers areaningredient in tea mixes, and can aidrelaxationwhen added to a warm bath.
Regular picking encourages many herb plants to produce moreshoots over alonger period than if lefttoflower.However,Ialways allow afew shoots to flower for pollinators. Dry bunches of herbs in awarm, dry,airyplace, out of direct sunlight (such as an airing cupboard) or in an electric dehydrator,orverylow oven.
SEP-BY-SEP
HARVESTING, DRYING ANDSTORING ONIONS
STEP 1: Onions areusually ready to harvest when their foliagestarts to turn yellow andfall over.Harvest carefully using afork or trowel, being surenot to damage the bulbs. If any aredamaged, use now rather than storing. Multi-sown onions can be twisted out of the ground.
STEP 2: Dry the onions by placing in full sun on something that allows airflow all around, such as racks or upside down crates. If the weather is wet, dry under cover in agreenhouse or polytunnel. Dry for two weeks untilthe foliage is dry and papery
■ Look out for cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, munching in gangs on brassicas. Although predators such as wasps will eat some, it is worthwhile removing caterpillars to asacrificial plant wherethey can live out their lifecycle. Protect new plantings, which can be stripped by caterpillars, withbutterfly netting or fine insect mesh suspended over cloche hoops.
■ Regularly check outside tomatoes and potatoes for signs of blight –brown splodges on stemsand leaves, or on the tomato fruit. Cut off any infected parts. If potatoes areshowing signs of blight, cut off the foliage and leave the potatoes fortwo weeks before harvesting. Healthy looking tuberswill be fine to eat but may not last long in storage.
■ Blossom end rotcauses dark blotches on the ends of tomatoes, aubergines and peppers. It is caused by alack of calcium, which is due to erratic watering. For potted plants, make surethe compost doesn’t dry out. Regular watering of plantsinthe ground, along with mulches to lock in moisture, should help to alleviate the issue.
STEP 3: Storethe onions in bunches or plaits hung from ahook, or in trays or mesh bags, in awell-ventilated, cool, dry,light and frost-free place. Storing in the dark encourages them to sprout. The onions shouldstore right through the winter
PLANT GREEN MANURES
August is an ideal time for sowing green manures. These fast-growing plants form an excellent ground cover in gaps and under larger crops(suchas brassicas), smothering weeds and helping to reducewater evaporation. They help to boost biodiversity above and below the soil, arebeneficial for the soil biology,and increase fertility in the veg beds. Sow buckwheat, phacelia, mustard, and Persian and crimsonclover.These green manures will helptoprotect the soil from erosion and heavy rains, and can be hoed offorleft to die back naturally during the winter months, without the need to dig.
Aubergines, peppers, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and other warmth-loving summer vegetables will be busy producing lots of fruit to harvest. Thesehungry feeders need an extraboost to encourage bountiful crops. Make home-made comfrey and nettle feed, or useone of the organic seaweed-based liquid feeds, everytwo weeks. Mulching thesoil underneathwithcomfrey leaves or grass clippings will help to conserve moistureif the weather is very warm and sunny
Keep side-shooting plantsasnecessary, using this opportunity to check the generalwell-being of the plants. Regular inspection means that any issue such as blight, insect damage or mildewswill be spotted quickly and can be remedied.
Tie in climbing plants. Keep under cover spaces well ventilated and make surethat the plants are not becoming overcrowded.Pinch out any growing tips from plants, suchascucumbers, that areona takeover bid of the growingspace! This cancause issues such as rotting or mildews.
Keep harvesting to enjoy these gorgeous crops at the peak of perfection, and toencourage morefruit to ripen.
STARTOFF YOUR
NEXT CARROT CROP IN POTS
Sow carrots under cover in pots for the wonderful sweet flavour of freshly pulled carrots later in the year.Alarge container about 30cm (12in) deep-filled with peat-free compost is ideal. Short-rooted varieties areideal for shallower containers.
Scatter the seed thinly over the top and cover with 1cm (½in) of compost. Keep the compost moist. If you have cats or other creatures that like to dig, cover the pot with some fine mesh. Thin the seedlings to 5cm (2in) apart when they are large enough to handle. Youcan use the thinnings to make carrottop pesto
The carrots willbeready in around 14-16 weeks.
PLANTINGSALADSFOR WINTER AND SPRING
STEP 1: Sow winter salad now for cropping right through the winter and into next spring. As well aslettuce, sow endive, chicories and Asian greens to add to the mix. Sow seeds in short rows in atray of compost and then prick out into modules when large enough to handle.
STEP 2: Growing transplants in modules makes the salads less likely to be eaten by slugs, but all of these can be direct sown too. When the transplants are about 10cm (4in) tall, plant out 20cm (8in) apart under cover.Make the most of space byplanting between existing crops such astomatoes.
SOWING POTATOES FOR CHRISTMAS
Seed potatoes to grow as Christmas-time new potatoes areinthe shops. They arefirst or second earlies that have been kept in cold storage. This is why they ‘think’ it is spring now, and start growing.
Put about 10cm (4in) of peat-free compost into a large containerorpotato
grow bag. Place four seed potatoes on top andcover with 20cm (8in) of compost. Water well. Keep the container under cover,to helpprotect fromblight
As the foliage grows, top up withcompost until the container is almost full. Feed the potatoes every two weekswith aliquid
feed such as home-made comfrey and nettle. As the autumn gets colder, protect the potatoes from frost with bubble wrap or similar
The foliage will die back in lateautumn. Either harvest the tubers, or keep in the compost until Christmas.
STEP 3: Growth willslowover the winter but you should be able to get some leaves each week. Encouragethe salads to crop over alongperiod by picking the outer leaves, leaving the inner leaves. This enables the plant to keep producing leaves, providing many bowls of mixed salad.
YO
UR KEY JOBS FOR AU GUS T
■ To encourage tomato plants to focus on ripening their fruit, remove the growing tips around mid-month. Along with removing sideshoots, this prevents the formation of any moretrusses. It is sometimes suggested to stopwatering them, but as Iuse the space underneath in the polytunnel to start growing the overwintering crops, Ikeep watering so these will thrive.
■ Check under courgette leaves to discover any fruitthat may have ambitions to become amarrow! It’ssurprising how quickly courgettes can grow from small to gigantic. Regular pickingencourages more flowers and fruit, extending the growing season. Huge courgettes arestill edible. Eat as stuffed marrow,oruse to make marrow rum.
■ Keep mulching, especiallyifthe weather is hot and dry.Use the chop-and-drop methodaround established plants such as perennial fruit bushes. Grass clippingsare an excellent mulch, especiallyfor ‘earthing up’ main crop potatoes, wherethey help lock in moistureand prevent tubers from going green in the sunlight.
■ Collectseeds as they ripen. Pick on adry day and leave somewhereairy and dark, such as an airing cupboard, to dryout properly When fully dry,pour into acontainer and label (you will forget what they arebynext spring!). Pop asilica bag into each container to help keep the seeds dry
YOU YOUR PLOT
MAGNIFICENT MALVERN
The RHS Malvern Show takes place this year as usual at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, from Friday September 26 to Sunday September 28.This very popular event celebrates country living in all its variety,with vintage vehicles, harvest competitions, rural crafts and local artisan food and drink. On top of that you canexpect fantasticdisplays of fruit, veg and flowers, talks and demonstrations from the experts,plus live music.
The Malvern show also holds the annual CANNAUKNational Giant Vegetables Championship whereyou will see some impressive, eye-catching specimens. Last year Ian Paton’s mammoth pumpkin, weighing in at 1198.2kg/2,641lb, set aBritish record.
CHILDREN MISSING OUT ON FR UIT AND V EG
Themost recent National Diet and Nutrition government survey has found thatmost respondents did not eat the recommended five portions aday of fruit and vegetables, and was therewas particular concern about children. The average forthe 11-18 age group was 2.8 portions of fruit and vegetables a day,while fewer than one in 10 children in the same age-group met the ‘Five a Day’ recommendation. According to the report, this was in part due to cost-ofliving pressures, though the data in the report stretched backasfar as 2019, so Covid was also believed to be afactor
Anew Sanctuary Garden supporting vulnerable peopleinLondonhas recently been opened by Thrive, the gardening for health charity.
The garden, at Thrive’sLondon centreinits Main Garden in Battersea Park, provides asafe, accessible space forpeopleliving with arange of health conditions or disabilities, especiallythose with dementia and theircarers.
Visitors to the garden and those attending Thrive programmes can
DID YO UK NOW? WELSH COME TOP IN GARDENING POLL
According to anationwide survey of 2,000 people conducted by financial services company RaisinUK(raisin.co.uk), residents of Wales spend an impressive 27 hours each month caring for their outdoor spaces, far above the national average of 17 hours. Cardiff also topped the charts as the most garden-devoted city,with locals investing afullday (24 hours) in their green spaces each month.
benefit from gentlegardening activity,conversation, quiet reflection and enjoyment ofwildlife and the changing seasons. Trained practitioners helppeople living with dementia or memory loss to engage in arange of gardening activities and nature-based crafts to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life.
•Tolearn more about visiting the Sanctuary Garden and attending aprogramme at Thrive’sLondon centrevisit: thrive.org.uk/London
AThrivevolunteer helpsaclient to plant rosemary
YOU YOUR PLOT
EMBRACING LIFE
Ihad an allotment for 10 years in the early 1990s but gave it up dueto ill health. After two hip replacements at 72, Igot another allotment last year and have treasured every minute. It was in asorrowful state. Therewas aframe up for apolytunnel and twohelpful people built it for me. YesterdayIpicked my first cucumber and beetroot. Even now I’m sat in my poly embracing life, even though it’s heavy rain!
Ann Ward,Manchester
CONTACT US WITH YOU RL ETT ERS AN DT IP S: KG
PERENNIAL PEBBLES
In our allotment we have built wooden boxes, and this year planted alargenumber of perennial plants. We wanted to have a constant flowering display,including fresh cut flowers from spring through to autumn. Hopefully the plants we havechosen will provide lovely blooms in the coming months. To add to the flower beds, wehave painted the flowersweare growing onto stones and positioned these within the boxes. We used water-based paint and covered them with asealantto protect them.
We like to be crafty,sothought that this would be funtodoand help with making the boxeslook very attractive. They help us to rememberthe names of all of the perennial plants we havechosen, as well as remindinguswhere they will popback up next spring.
Kathryn &Rebecca Watkin, Co Durham
TONY SAYS: Well Kathryn and Rebecca, what agreat idea! They do look fantasticand will brighten up your plotwonderfully
Send us your tips and pictures and ifyour letterispublished youwill get a£10 Dobies voucher.Ifyou arelucky enough to have yours chosen as our Star Letter you will get a£25 voucher.You can choose to spend your winnings ona fabulous range of seeds,young plants and gardening sundries all available on the Dobies website or you can get hold of afreecopy of the 2025 catalogue now by phoning 0844 701 7625 or going online to: dobies.co.uk
Youcan reach us by letter,email or via our Facebook page. Search: KitchenGardenMag or via our Instagram page: growwithkg
Email your letters to kg.ed@kelsey.co.uk or post to: Letters, Kitchen Garden, Kelsey Media, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR
PICK BEANS FROM MY WATERBUTT
Ithought readers might liketosee how we repurposed our old leakywater butt My husband cutone in half, drilled holes in the base and we filled the bottom section with compost. Our purple climbing beans arenow doing very well after setbacks with the weather.Wehave done this for afew years and it meansIcan pick beans just outsidemykitchen door,while having acup of tea and pottering about on my decked area.
Jackie Smith, East Sussex
SAYING CHEERS FOR ALL THE GREATYEARS
Ifeel Imust just write to send aheartfelt‘thank you’ to you all at Kitchen Garden magazineover the past years. Ihave had to finallygiveupmy allotment after 45 years.
Ieitherbought or had the magazine on subscription forIcan’tremember how many years, and Istillhave articles on how to grow various veg which Icut out and kept during that time. Thanks again for years of tips and interesting articles –ohyes, and replies to two letters Isent asking for advice!
Kathleen Hughes, Devon
TONY SAYS: Thank you for your very kindwords Kathleen. We’redelighted that you have found the magazine so helpful in all the many years you have been growing veg!
COLIN 2016: Iunderstand trimming of vine tomatoes but what do you do, if anything, to bush tomatoes?
WESTI: Ijuststart cutting leaves off so any fruitunder them has sunlight to ripen. Istart doing this rather gingerly but by end of seasonso many leaves arecoming offinorder to reserve energy for the plant to focus on the fruit, they end up pretty bald.
RETORPANTS: I’m also trimming the lower leaves. It’shardtosee what’s what as they arequite ajumble. Seems mine have gone mad!
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KG AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Once you have read and enjoyedyourcopyof Kitchen Garden magazine, why not recycle it? Remove the glossy cover and shred the rest beforeadding to your compost heap or bean trench.Subscriber copies now come in recyclable paper,while thepolythene sleeves in which KG is supplied in shops arerecyclable. Look for the label printed on yours andfollow the instructions.
YOU YOUR PLOT
BAFFLING BEANS
planting direct the ground. The pots
Inormally grow ‘Ferrari’ French beans with no problems, but this year for achange Idecided on ‘Boston’. I started these offin9cm pots in the greenhouse with alittle bottom heat beforetransferring to larger pots/ planting direct into the ground. The pots in the greenhousegive me an earlier crop beforethe ones outside become established. This year,growth was slow and many of the leaves turned yellow, with some turning upside down showing the leaf veins.
Do you think they becametoo hot, or maybe Iused poor compost? Only some of the plants wereaffected. When Iplanted my ‘Bolotto’ seeds in the same way,therewas aproblem withrotting offdownthe stems. Again, it only affected some of theplants
some of the plants.
Paul Manning,Kent
and compost choice, with a bit of trouble leaf inversion on the ‘Boston’ beans could be caused too
RACHEL SAYS: It sounds likeboth your bean problemsare down to stress and compost choice, with abit of fungal ouble too. The yellowing and leafinversion on the ‘Boston’ beans could be caused by too much heat, especially with bottom heat and asunny greenhouse. Nutrient-poor or stale compost might also be to blame, especially if watering hasbeen a bit uneven. From the photo, it looks likethey were possibly sown straight into multi-purpose compost. Seed compost is finer and better suited to seedlings it holds moisturemoreevenly and supportsgentle root growth –then pot on into multi-purpose once the first true leaves appear.
As for the ‘Bolotto’ beans, the collapsed stemslook like afungal stem rot(possibly Fusarium). These fungi thrive in warm, damp, still conditions and often enterat thebaseofsoftstems. Affectedseedlingsoften grow forawhile then suddenly collapse. That only some plants wereaffected is typical –fungal spores exploit small variations in drainage or humidity. To avoid similar problems:
■ Start in seed compost, then pot on into multipurpose
■ Turn offbottom heat after germination
■ Water only when the surface is dry
■ Improve airflow in the greenhouse
■ Tryasplash of chamomile tea asa naturalanti-fungal
■ Space seedlings to avoid humid microclimates
Star Question winners receive a voucher worth £25, and £10each for the others. These can be redeemedagainst any products in the latest Mr Fothergill’s range, which can be viewedonline by visiti mr-fothergills.co.uk. Email questions to kg.ed@kelsey.co.uk or post to Question Time, Kitchen Garden,Kelsey Media, Medi Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR.Please include your full address on letters and emails. range, which can viewed online visiting , Kelsey Media, Media
PROBLEM PESTSINAPOD
Ihave just harvested my first peas of theyear and when shelling them several of them have small maggots inside the pods. Why?
maggots inside Why?
Sallyanne Wright,
Suffolk
the pods and, after they have had theirfill in mid to latesummer,they fall into the soil to pupate and the cyclebegins again, withthe moths activeagainthe following June.
TONY SAYS: This is aproblem that Itoo have hadinthe past. What you have arepea moth caterpillars, and you may see some of their excrement –known as ‘frass’ –inthe pod, too.
and you may see some – known
Pea moths areactive in June and lay their eggs next to pea flowers,towhich they are attracted. That’sunderstandable, as where thereare flowers, pods can’tbetoo far behind. The emerging caterpillarseat into
Thereare acouple of options for next year. Grow your plants in adifferent part of your veg plotand cover with insect-proofmesh prior toflowering. This willprevent the pea moths from getting onto the plants in the first place. Secondly,you could sow early or late varieties to avoid flowering during the prime egg-laying period (June/July).
Obviously,you willneed to checkeach pod now for any sign of them. Be sureto remove any infested pods and debrisfrom thegrowing area.
BLACKCURRANT PRUNING –WHICHMETHOD IS BEST?
In the June edition of KG magazine, David Patch unequivocally states that blackcurrants fruit best on twoyear-old stems and that all fruited stems should be immediately pruned upon harvesting. This is completely different to the current RHS website guidance and my old(ish) HDRA Gardening Encyclopaedia,togive but two examples. These state that blackcurrants fruit on older wood and, once established, should be prunedinthe dormant season by removing athirdofthe oldest stems. By this method, Ihave had bumpercrops every summer –so who’sright?
Rachel Herbert-Threlkeld, Somerset
which is why the RHSisadvising removing stemsoncethey get to three yearsold (ie by removing athirdofthe oldest wood). This will definitely producemorefruit in total, but also means the plant takes up quitea lotmorespace. My method still producesvery good crops but has the advantage of keeping the blackcurrant bush smaller,soperhaps better where space is ata premium.
Whether you prune just after harvesting (or even takethe whole stemswith fruit into the kitchen topick the fruitatthe kitchen table), or in the dormant season, is entirely up to you.
GOOSEBERRYGRUMBLE
Iused to get excellent yields from my two gooseberry bushes but last year and again this year they have been badly affected by mildew and the fruits are very small and tend to split. Is thereanything Ican do to prevent the problem next year?
Jill Hairsine, Staffs
SAYS: Mildew on a sign of
DAVID SAYS: Mildew on gooseberries is almost always asign of dryness at the roots.
However,once you haveit, it’seasy for the spores to overwinter on stems or in the soil at the base of the plant, ready to strike again the following year Prune in August to try to thin out the bush and improve air circulation. Winter wash in December or January with afruit tree winter wash to kill any overwintering spores and break the cycle. Mulch in April next year when the soil is damp to seal in moisture(and also lock in any remaining mildew spores in the soil)
as a stem ages,
DAVID SAYS: Blackcurrant crops do gradually reduce as astem ages,
As with much of gardening, there’snosingle ‘right’ answer here, the main point being that blackcurrants (unlike, say,redcurrants) need at least some hardannual pruning of older wood to maintain fruit production.
DAVID
AS UM �E R FA VO UR ITE
Strawberries areone of summer’s most succulent treats. This month Martin Fish offers expert advice to help with growing and propagating abumper crop
Ripe strawberries in the polytunnel in early June
There’snothing nicer than abowl of ripe, sweet strawberries picked straight from the garden. Not only arethey easy to grow in the garden or containers, they produce their frst fruits just months afterplanting.
Of all the fruits we grow,strawberries areprobably one of the easiest and Ithink they areagreat starter plant for getting children interested in gardening. Ouryoung grandchildren all love strawberries and enjoy being able to pick them freshfromthe garden.
STRETCHINGTHE SEASON
Strawberries arenaturally summer-fruiting, and the traditional time to har vest from the garden is June until late July,depending on the variety being grownand whereyou live. On the other hand, commercial UK growers canhar vest tasty strawberries from April to November as aresult of newvarieties and modern growing techniques underglass and polythene.
Back in our garden we can also extend the harvesting season. By growing some plants under cover, someoutdoorsand by choosing diferent varieties, it’s possible to pick your ownstrawberries from Mayto October
SO MANY VARIETIES
Gardening catalogues carr yagood range of strawberries –some older,tried and tested varieties such as ‘CambridgeFavourite’, to modern commercial types such as ‘Malling Centenar y’.Strawberr yplants areoften listed as ‘early season’, ‘maincrop’and ‘late season’, meaning that if they were all planted at the same time and growninthe same way,they would crop at diferent times over several weeks –aneasy and simple way to expand the cropping season in our gardens. Summer-
fruiting varieties that crop just once ayear areknown as ‘summer bearing’.
‘Perpetual’or‘everbearing’varieties can also be growntoextend thecropping season. Rather than producing one main crop in summer,everbearers fowerand produce fruits over amuch longer season. Apopular variety is ‘Flamenco’, which produces acrop in July and then continues through until SeptemberorevenOctober if grownunder cover. Alpine strawberries also fall into this group,and they produce tiny fruits over several months.
Foranearly crop,varieties such as ‘Sweetheart’ or ‘Royal Sovereign’can be grownincontainers in agreenhouse or polytunnel. Even without heat they will start to fruit acouple of weeks earlier than those planted outside.
WAYS TO GET GROWING
Strawberr yplants arehardy and very easy to grow.Young, virus anddisease-free plants arereadily available online and from garden centres. Teyare ofered as bare-root plants in small pots or in modules. Bare-root plants arerootedrunners lifted in theautumn and stored in cool sheds for planting in autumn or early spring.
In spring you’ll fnd small potted strawberr yplants in garden centres that can be potted through until Mayinthe garden or containers. Mail-order catalogues also supply young plants in modules. Tese areknown as ‘misted tips’and aresmall runners rooted commercially in propagators.
If planting in the garden, strawberries prefer asunny position with amoisture retentive, well-drained soil. Plant so the crown(buds above the roots) is at soil level with no roots exposed. In containers, use agood quality compost and plant to the correct depth and lightly frm the compost andwater in. Keep the compost moist but not too wet, to encourage newroots to develop ➤
Bare-root runners ready for planting out
Tidy up the plants in early spring andremove anydeadoryellow foliage
Give your strawberry plants amulch of compost to improve the soil
Alpine strawberries produce fruits over several months
Asimple strawberry tower made from various sized pots stacked on top of each other
Grey mould (botrytis) –get rid of infected fruit
TAKE CARE OF PLANTS
As the weather warms up in spring, the plants naturally starttomakenew growth and fowerbuds. If grownoutside, be prepared to protect the open fowers overnight from late frosts. Ageneral fertiliser sprinkled around the plants as they starttogrowwill provide nutrients for the season, and in dr yweather wateryoung plants to help them establish.
If growing in containersoutside or under cover, water as the compost starts to dr yout and feed weekly witha high-potash fertiliser when the fruits starttodevelop.Tis helps the fruits swell and ripen.
After fruiting the plants produce runners (a stem withasmall plant at the end), which is the plant’s naturalway of spreading. If not needed forpropagation, they can be cut of By August the plants starttolook untidy and can be cut back to ground level. Tis gets rid of any pestsordiseases on the leaves and tidies up the plants. Water and feed, and newgrowth will soon be made.However, with everbearing varieties,don’t cut back
the leaves after the frst fush of fruits as the plants will continue to grow,fower andfruit untilautumn.
In late winter or early spring, check over the plants. Leavehealthygreen foliage and remove anythat areyelloworshowing winter damaged. Youcan also givethe plants a mulch of compost to enrich the soil.
ROOT THOSE RUNNERS
After three or four years, strawberr yplants starttolose their vigour and produce less fruit. Fortunately,theycan be easily propagated by rooting therunners that are producedinthe summer but only do this if your plants arehealthyand fruiting well. After rooting newplants, dig up and dispose of the oldest plants. Te aim is to haveno plants older than four years.
When the runners on theplants have developed, peg some down into small pots or trays of compost wheretheywill quickly root. Once rooted, cut the stems and youhave newplants for the following season. ■
It’simportant to protect ripening fruits with acover or finemesh
GOOD ADVICE
■ When starting with new plants it is important to buy virus and diseasefree plants
■ Very often, potted strawberry plants in garden centres arenot planted deeply enough, so when planting adjust them to the correct planting depth
■ Never propagate from weak plants with stunted or mottled foliage as they may be virused
■ Avoid watering at night when fruit is ripening as it can encourage botrytis (fungal disease) to develop
■ Make sureripening fruits are protected from birds with fine netting
■ If growing in containers, vine weevils can be aproblem. Nematodes watered into the compost in August will help solve the problem
Remove unwanted runners to divert energy to the fruits
