Summer strawberry success

The great Kiwi pavlova just wouldn’t be the same without a generous topping of delicious red strawberries this Christmas. Strawberries are a summer fruit fave for the whole family, and with some care you can enjoy a bumper crop of sweet juicy fruit.

Whether you're growing in garden beds, pots or hanging baskets, a few simple steps will help you get the most from your strawberries this summer!

best POSITION for growing strawberries

• Give your strawberries plenty of summer sun so they are nice and sweet. Lack of sun will mean little or no flavour for your berries.
• Borage, onion and marigold are all good companion plants for strawberries. These help repel insects and some other pests, and provide colour and food to attract bees, our important pollinators.
• For planting advice, see our full strawberry growing guide >

how to care for your strawberry plants in summer

• Feed your strawberries and they will feed you. Replenishing nutrients used by your strawberries supports healthy growth and encourages larger, sweeter fruit. For strawberries planted in garden beds feed with Tui Strawberry Food every four weeks during key growth periods of spring and summer.
• Feed strawberries planted in pots in containers with Tui Strawberry Liquid Superfood or a controlled release fertiliser such as Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub.
• Keep your strawberries well watered. Well watered, well nourished strawberries will have a better chance of keeping insect pests and diseases at bay. Regular applications of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic will also keep your strawberries healthy and help them cope with summer heat.

PROTECT your strawberries from heat, birds and pests

• Birds love juicy strawberries just as much as we do. Put up netting to protect your crop as the fruit begins to ripen.
• In hot weather, strawberries can dry out quickly. Protect your plants from the elements with a layer of Tui Strawberry Straw, to keep roots moist in the warmer months, lift fruit off the soil and help keep your strawberry patch weed free.

common strawberry issues in summer

• If your strawberries are drying up before they mature, possible causes include poor pollination, drying out between watering and inconsistent watering. Mulch to help conserve soil moisture and feed regularly with Tui Strawberry Food, which contains potassium to help flowering and fruiting.
• Water consistently, especially during summer when fruit is forming and heat can put plants under stress.
• Remove any damaged or deformed fruit to keep plants healthy and encourage better quality berries.
• Brown spots on strawberry leaves are common and usually don't affect the fruit. Simply remove any badly affected leaves and discard them to keep plants tidy and healthy.

Free plants!

Planting out the runners of your strawberry plants is a great way to get more strawberry plants for free. Older strawberry plants naturally produce smaller fruit over time, so planting out the runner you can refresh your strawberry patch and enjoy a more productive crop next season. 

Runners grow out from the parent plant on long stems, with new plants grow at the ends. Once these young plants have developed roots, select the new plant you want and cut it free from the runner, leaving a few centimetres of stem attached. Then plant the new strawberry plant directly into the garden with Tui Strawberry Mix, water well and allow it to establish.

Find more strawberry growing tips and inspiration at the Strawberry Hub >