PlantSowGrow
How to plant and care for Strawberry (Mara des Bois)
Fragaria × ananassa
An everbearing strawberry with the intense perfume of wild strawberries, fruiting from June to autumn.
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 (Mara des Bois): 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 while they establish.
- 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 around the plants.
- MayTuck Straw Under Plants
Put straw or mats under the plants to keep fruit clean.
- JuneStart Picking
Pick ripe berries every few days until the autumn frosts. Feed with tomato feed every two weeks while fruiting.
- JulyRemove Runners
Remove runners to keep energy going into fruit (or pot up a few for new plants).
- OctoberAutumn Tidy
Remove old leaves and straw after the last fruits. Replace plants every 2–3 years.
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