Strawberries can be grown in all sorts of planters. To enjoy fresh berries over the longest period, either grow perpetual fruiting varieties, which allow you to pick small quantities of fruit all summer long, or plant early, mid season and late varieties separately. This method allows you to harvest more fruit at any one time, but takes up more space.
The best way to start is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants in spring: ten strawberry plants are about right for one of our 45cm square planters. Plant them immediately in soil-based compost and they will produce a modest crop in their first year. The second season should see a bumper crop, followed by a slightly lower yield the third summer.
Then start again with fresh stock. Careful watering and feeding are essential. If you are to reap a good crop, you must never let the
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Plants for your Planters
| To help you select the best plants for your planters. Here is a list of two hundred plants, with pictures, for planters listed by colour & season .
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compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening; if you do, the bulk of your crop will drop off the bush almost immediately.
Water well then leave the planters for up to three weeks, until they reach the point of drying out. Be careful not to overwater them during the winter months. Blackcurrants are especially attractive to birds and the bushes will need some form of protection. Blueberry
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bushes and redcurrant bushes will also thrive for many years in large planters. And rhubarb is another great, if unexpected, plant for a planter, with its wonderful architectural foliage. If you have room in the planter around the fruit bush, you could add almost any decorative bedding plants the effect will be spectacular.
Growing Tips
Most soft fruit thrives best in a soil-based compost: John Innes No.2 for strawberries, and John Innes No.3 for red, white, blackcurrants and for gooseberries. A rhubarb crown needs a good-sized planter 60cm square. The stems can be pulled until early July: then it should be allowed to grow unchecked to build up reserves.
All soft-fruit bushes need to be watered copiously and fed regularly with a liquid tomato fertiliser, starting when the fruit begins to form continuing until it is gathered.
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