Strawberries, the quintessential summer fruit in the UK, are available all year round in despite their seasonal tag.
Their irresistible sweet taste and juicy texture make them a favourite, particularly when they're homegrown, and they're quite straightforward to cultivate from young plants.
But not everyone has the knack for nurturing a bountiful strawberry plant in the garden. Fear not, as a guru has shared that these delectable berries are perfectly suited to indoor life.
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Garden coach and hydroponics aficionado Jennifer Holston recommends everbearing strawberries for those keen on enjoying multiple harvests annually.
Speaking to the Martha Stewart website, she pointed out that the hardworking alpine varieties "yield two or more harvests a year" and produce "smaller" yet intensely flavoured berries.
If you're dreaming of a summer filled with homegrown strawberries, starting from seed now won't cut it; they need time to develop robust roots, typically during the winter, reports .
Instead, go for an everbearing strawberry variety in bare-root form. These arrive in a dormant state, roots bare and leaves dry, ready to spring to life once planted.
Cultivating these ruby gems indoors liberates you from the whims of outdoor weather, allowing you to start your strawberry project at any point throughout the year.
For those with green fingers, timing is key if you're looking to embark on growing your own strawberries indoors UK buyers will find live plants like bare-root strawberries primarily available from November to March.
Gardening expert Jennifer notes that while fussy about their soil, strawberries thrive in raised beds or containers, giving gardeners the edge in managing their specific soil requirements.
Fancy growing strawberries in the comfort of your home?Ensure the soil is well-drained, steering clear of heavy clay types. Aim for a nutrient-rich and loamy texture that feels almost soft to the touch.
Grab a pot at least 12 inches across and 8 inches deep, chuck in some multipurpose compost, and make room for those roots. Lay them out nicely in the hole, then position your plant so its crown peeks just above the compost.
Outdoor strawberry plants soak up full sunlight for bumper crops, but don't skimp on the light indoors - this is still a big deal for yield.
Jennifer explained: "Most strawberries are long-day, photoperiod plants. This means the plant has receptors that detect the daylight hours. For these strawberries, 12 hours is the magical amount of light per day to trigger flowering."
To meet this need indoors, growers should bask their plants under grow lights for an ideal 12 to 14 hours daily. Meticulous watering is key to compensate for the weaker airflow indoors and the risk of mildew.
"Strawberries thrive in well-draining soil and usually need water only once a week," Jennifer advised. She recommends keeping the strawberry plant dry at all times as "a damp crown rots" and could ruin your harvest.
A simple way to keep an eye on the soil's moisture is by checking it every few days with your finger and adjusting the watering schedule as needed.
While outdoor insects act as natural pollinators for your strawberry plants, indoor strawberries lack a natural method of spreading their pollen from flower to flower, thus preventing them from producing berries.
You can use a small paintbrush to transfer pollen from the outer stamens to the centre of the blossom, kickstarting fruit production.
Bare-root strawberries planted indoors typically take two to three months to start fruiting, with ripening usually happening about a month after blossoming. Harvest your strawberries gently, either plucking or cutting the stem less than half an inch above the berry.