PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Strawberry (Elsanta)
Fragaria × ananassa
The classic June-bearing strawberry: one big crop of glossy, sweet berries in early summer. Great in beds, pots and grow-bags.
At a glance: harvest in June.
When to plant and care for it
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Strawberry (Elsanta): what it needs
- Light
- Full sun · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water well while fruit swells
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 35 cm
- Height
- 20 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- Sulphate of potash in late winter; mulch with compost
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–9
Step by step
- Mid March – late May · 4 weeks before the last spring frost
Plant
Plant 35 cm apart in weed-free, well-prepared soil enriched with compost, and water in well.
- 0–3 days after “Plant” · Mid March
Water Well
Keep new plants moist. For bigger crops next year, pinch off flowers in the first spring.
- 7–21 days after “Water Well” · Late March – early April
Mulch
Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plants to keep moisture in and weeds down.
Every year
- MarchSpring Feed
Scatter a high-potash fertiliser (or sulphate of potash) around the plants.
- MayTuck Straw Under Plants
As fruits form, tuck straw or strawberry mats under them to keep berries clean and dry.
- MayNet Against Birds
Cover with netting before the fruit colours — blackbirds find them first.
- JunePick Strawberries
Pick every other day, in the morning, when berries are fully red. Take a photo!
- JulyDeal with Runners
Pin a few runners into small pots for new plants; cut off the rest.
- AugustTidy After Fruiting
Cut off old leaves 10 cm above the crown, remove straw and weeds, and feed. Replace plants every 3–4 years.
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