Strawberries growing in hanging baskets

Everyone loves strawberries, and anyone with a reliable patch of sunlight can grow them in baskets for a productive display.

Strawberries grow beautifully in hanging baskets, pots, strawberry planters or wine barrels and look gorgeous on a sunny deck or verandah. This also benefits the fruit, as the fruit spills over the edges making them easy to reach and protects the fruit from the soil. Growing them in baskets and pots is also a great solution if space is limited or you have poor soil. Grow in Searles Platinum Potting Mix for easy results. Position baskets in full sun for better fruiting.

Feeding strawberries

Straight after planting, give strawberries a good watering and feed them with a half-strength application of SeaMax Liquid Organic Fertiliser. To produce the amount of fruit required for a healthy crop, feed them as you would a hungry teen boy – often. Continue feeding every two weeks with a potassium-rich instant fertiliser such as Searles Flourish Fruit & Citrus Soluble Plant Food throughout the growing season for a bumper crop.

Watering strawberries

Strawberries are shallow-rooted, so mulch them well and keep them well-watered — especially in very hot or dry weather. Strawberries in baskets need to be watered more frequently — once every day in normal conditions. Laying straw around the base of each plant will help control weeds and keep the roots from overheating in the sun.

Picking strawberries

Pick strawberries as soon as they’re ripe — you’ll beat the birds and insects to it. Snipping them off with scissors makes it easier not to squash them. Strawberry plants will perform at their prime for about 3 years, after which time they should be replaced.