Gardening and DIY:Strawberry ready

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The time has come to start planting strawberries for summer.

Research shows strawberry plants given time in the ground during winter and prior to flowering produce a higher number of berries.

Like other berries, strawberries respond well to sunlight, so choose a spot that gets around six hours of sun a day to plant in.

Dig over soil to a depth of about 20cm and blend in well-rotted compost. It's advised to leave the soil for about a week to allow worms and nutrients to blend in.

Place the plants about 20cm apart although if planting in pots or baskets they can be
positioned slightly closer.

While old strawberry runners from past years can be rejuvenated, they tend to be less vigorous and less flavoursome than new plants.

Source: www.garden-nz.co.nz