Growing Strawberries in Canberra
There’s always a place to grow delicious strawberries. Garden beds, pots, hanging baskets, even vertical gardens - they don’t need much room! Economical bare-rooted, certified disease free crowns are available from May-August. Potted plants are available Spring to Autumn. All are well suited to the Canberra region’s climate.
What do i need?
A sunny place with good air circulation - at least half a day of sun.
Good drainage - no wet feet.
Soil well prepared with lots of cow manure, organic matter and fertiliser - OR premium potting mix.
A bit of added lime or dolomite - they prefer a neutral pH.
Generous mulch or weed mat to hold the fruit off the soil.
Regular watering but keep the leaves and fruit dry at night to avoid disease - drippers are ideal.
Regular fertiliser for good fruiting.
Good quality, virus-free strawberry plants to start with!
How do i grow Strawberries?
Prepare the planting bed in advance with lots of well rotted cow manure, compost and a complete plant food - we recommend Healthy Earth fertilisers. A raised bed is ideal or you can mound the soil to ensure good drainage. Canberra soils will usually need a little garden lime or dolomite added to make them neutral pH, and you might need Claybreaker to deal with heavy clay soils.
Plant bare-root crowns promptly after purchase or plant potted plants at any time, ensuring that that the top of the crown is at soil level and the roots are spread out. Space plants 30cms apart. Water in with Healthy Earth Liquid Fertiliser or with a Seasol solution to help them settle.
Mulch with Pea Straw, Lucerne or similar - or else use weed mat to keep the fruit off the soil (if using weed mat, simply plant through slits made in the fabric). Water regularly during the growing season, especially when hot and/or windy, and fertilise monthly with Healthy Earth.
Tidy up dead leaves at the end of summer, lightly dig in manure and fertiliser late winter.
Tips
Encourage plants to produce fruit by removing the runners.
Melba and Tioga will flower and fruit from Spring to Autumn. Red Gauntlet is an old, 'tried and true' Scottish variety while Sumo and Kamu are very tasty Japanese types. There are many more - some with pretty pink or red flowers.
Replace plants every 3-4 years, as older plants become less productive. Use a new spot that hasn’t grown strawberries for a few years (this helps dodge disease).
Protect the fruit from snails, slugs and birds.