With a little creativity it’s amazing what containers you can use to grow strawberries.
Deep plastic crates prove excellent containers for growing strawberries, lettuce or rocket. Line the crates with black plastic and make holes in the base area to allow for drainage. Add stones, then good quality compost and voilá!
Because the containers are not that deep I do keep the soil moist and once the strawberry plants start to flower I usually water with a liquid feed about ever two weeks. So far so good and I have an abundance of sweet strawberries through the spring and summer months.
I usually buy the strawberry plants from local markets, or if I am being really ‘thrifty’ I repot the strawberry runners from mature plants.
Recently, a family of blackbirds discovered my stache of delicious strawberries and were eating them before I had my share. I don’t mind sharing, but they were just plain greedy!
I tried various tactics to deter the birds until I hit on the idea of using …
Yep you’ve guessed, upturned crates as covers. They not only provided a rigid protective guard they also filtered the strong summer sun which in turn helped with moisture retention.
Happy days!
Do you grow strawberries in unusual containers? Any success, hints or tips?
Piglet in Portugal 
Piglet,
Is there a special fertiliser for strawberries? I am attempting to grow some strawberries in my bay window and on the balcony and after finally getting the plants to get big enough (from seed) I am now not seeing much result on the fruiting front.
I’m a complete and utter novice gardener so any advice would be most welcome please!
LikeLike
Hi, I doubt you will get fruit the first year. All my plants were semi mature with a good root system. I’ve also utilized the runners and potted up while still attached to the mother plant only cutting the umbilical chord (so to speak) once they had developed their own root sustem.
As for feed I ahve been using MiracleGrow or other liquid Fruit feed. I’ve also used Tomorite. My preference would have been for liquid manure.I put some rotted manure in a large bin and added water. the idea being to water the strawberries. Mr. piglet decided to empty the pot – end of natural liquied feed idea.
Good luck with the strawberries.:)
LikeLike
I never thought of using this type of container, what a lovely idea! I don’t feed the strawberries with a fertiliser, probably the reason I don’t get many strawberries…
LikeLike
Love this idea! We race the birds to our strawberries as well.
LikeLike
What a brilliant idea, I’ll try that – the bird here take liberties with my strawberries too!
LikeLike
Ha Ha… not for much longer!
LikeLiked by 1 person