Strawberries are one of the easiest crops to have in a garden as they will grow almost anywhere, and now is the time to plant them if you want some tasty berries. Most gardeners will be able to pick their strawberries in June, but there is actually an easy way to make the crops grow at a much faster rate, so you see them fruiting in spring.
Benedict Vanheems, an expert from Grow Veg, has shared that there is a gardening technique called forcing, which can trick the plant into growing fruit much earlier in the year. He said: “Just like rhubarb, it’s possible to coax along strawberries for an early crop. However, rather than exclude light, all we have to do is move the plants somewhere a bit warmer, such as into a cold frame or a greenhouse. It’s important not to move them indoors before cold weather starts, because strawberries need a period of winter chilling to help them to produce flowers and fruits.”
Forcing is simply moving strawberries somewhere slightly warmer, like a shed, greenhouse or conservatory, to make the plant believe it is time to start growing fruit.
It overrides their natural timing so they begin to flower in a few weeks time and then will have big and juicy berries ready to pick as early as late February.
All you need to do is grow strawberries in a deep container or hanging basket filled at least 20 centimetres deep with soil.
They will need to be kept at a stable temperature of between 15C to 20C during the day, and they cannot be exposed to temperatures below 10C at night.
The key to forcing strawberries is to keep them warm, but you cannot keep them indoors just yet, as they need some exposure to the cold to initiate flowering.
Strawberries typically also need around 12 to 16 hours of sunlight a day to grow fruit, so it may be worth investing in an LED light for plants.
However, certain strawberry varieties are more forgiving, and if you force Albion or Seascape types, they are likely to flower regardless of how much light they get.
It should be noted that without enough light, strawberries might not grow very big, and if you want the plumpest berries possible, you need to provide them with plenty of bright and consistent light.
Indoor strawberries will also not have any access to bees, and once they begin flowering, you will need to brush them gently with a dry paintbrush each day to move the pollen around.
Forcing strawberries is usually quite easy, and just keeping them somewhere warm will help you get lots of delicious berries to enjoy as soon as possible.
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