Strawberry Symphony (PBR) | 5 Runners

A tasty late-season treat. Position: full sun Soil: any soil Rate of growth: fast-growing Other features: ready to pick from mid July Hardiness: fully hardyBred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, this variety will produce supermarket quality fruits that keep well. They have a uniform shape, well coloured flesh and a very tasty flavour. The plants are strong growers and have a good resistance to mildew. Garden care: These strawberry runners are sent out as bare root plants, and as they are completely dormant, any remaining top growth will look shrivelled and dry. Ideally they should be planted out as soon as possible, and once settled in (and if the temperatures have started to rise), they will start to emerge from their dormancy. This will typically take around 6 weeks if they are planted in late winter or spring. Before planting, soak the rootballs in a bucket of water for half an hour or so. Meanwhile, prepare the bed well by removing any weeds and digging in a generous amount of compost. You can also work in some general purpose fertiliser if planting in spring. Space them at 45cm intervals, allowing 75cm between each row. After planting, immediately give them a thorough water and apply a generous layer of mulch around the base of the plants, being careful to avoid the crown. Keep the plants well watered, especially during warmer weather and when the fruits are developing. When the strawberries are starting to form, a thick layer of straw or a strawberry mulch mat can be placed under the plants to stop the fruit touching the soil. Sheets of black plastic mulch can also be used, and this will also help retain soil moisture, reduce weeds and encourage early cropping. Strawberries can also be planted in tubs, containers and hanging baskets.