In contrast to cultivated strawberries, wild strawberries are tough. Hobby gardeners benefit from this property if the garden does not offer ideal conditions for sensitive strawberry varieties. All important questions about the correct planting of wild strawberries are answered here.

Which location is suitable for wild strawberries?

Meet the native wild strawberries on hikes, they thrive along sunny forest edges, in bright clearings and even under the shelter of tall deciduous trees. Therefore, offer the plants a sunny to semi-shady place in the garden as well. The closer the soil conditions get to the loose, humus-rich forest floor, the more diligently the ever-bearing strawberries will put down roots.

What planting time is recommended?

The months of July and August are considered the optimal planting period. If you miss this date, March and April can be considered as alternatives. Thanks to the robust constitution of wild strawberries, they will still grow well later in early summer.

How does the planting work in detail?

A few weeks before the planting date, the soil is prepared so that it can settle. The addition of mature compost, rotted horse manure or commercial humus completes the nutrient content in the soil. A dosage of 5 liters per square meter is considered appropriate. After a waiting period of at least two weeks, the process continues as follows:

  • put the root balls of the young plants that you have brought up early or bought ready-made in water for 30 minutes
  • meanwhile weed the clod again without digging deeply
  • put the potted plants in pits with twice the volume of the root ball
  • insert so deep that the heart bud remains free and water
  • consider a planting distance of 20-25 centimeters

In the planter on the balcony, first create a drainage with pebbles over the water outlet. Then fill in the substrate enriched with compost and let it rest. Plant the young wild strawberries, water and mulch with expanded clay (€19.73) or perlite (€37.51).

When is harvest time?

One of the outstanding benefits of wild strawberries is based on a consistent harvest throughout the summer. The fruits are clearly smaller than the mighty cultivated strawberries. The wild kind makes up for this with a unique aroma. Always harvest strawberries that are solid in colour, without a light green collar. The ripe fruits are picked in such a way that part of the fruit stalk and the green sepals remain on it.

tips and tricks

Wild strawberries develop strong offshoots that are ideal for propagation. In late summer, place a clay pot with substrate next to a vital mother plant in the soil and place a suitable runner over it so that it takes root there. Once the pot has rooted through, the young plant is cut off from the mother and planted in the new location.

Category:

Vegetable garden