Strawberries

Early strawberries are one of the great pleasures of having a tunnel or glasshouse. Whether from pots or border soil, they taste like a promise of summer and so much fresher than shop-bought ones. Tidy up the plants, removing any dead leaves and bits. Check potted plants for vine weevils. Cut off any runners to divert the plant’s energy from growth into filling fruit. Keep the plants watered and give them as much light as possible, giving them some liquid feed as per the instructions on the packaging. Ventilate on sunny days to keep the temperature cooler and less stressful for the plants, and reduce the danger of fungus diseases. The flowers are more frost-sensitive than the leaves, so protect them from frost with fleece or cloches on cold nights. You will need to hand-pollinate the flowers as fewer insects visit plants under cover. Brush the flowers gently with a soft brush or cotton wool to transfer pollen from one flower to another. You need to repeat this on a number of days to ensure that each flower is fully fertilised and will form a complete strawberry. Continue feeding and watering, and watch out for pests such as aphids and slugs. Remove and destroy any mouldy fruit or leaves to prevent disease spreading. Pick and enjoy the fruit as soon as they are ready, but if slugs are a problem pick them a bit sooner and let them finish ripening in the kitchen.