Strawberries take up hardly any room, produce attractive flowers and delicious fruit, and are easy to maintain. Follow our advice on growing your own.

What to do

* Prepare the soil by digging over, removing any perennial weeds and adding manure.
* Place the strawberry plants every 35cm (13 in) in rows that are 75cm (30 in) apart.
* Plant with the crown at soil level and water well.
* To prevent slugs, put down pellets or place grit or broken egg shells under each plant.
* Place a net over the plants to prevent birds and squirrels from eating the fruit.
* Pick any ripe strawberries so they don’t rot on the plant. Check the plants every other day during the ripening period.

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