The Strawberry Plant

The strawberry is a low-growing plant with a short perennial crown on which the leaves are produced. The main roots arise at the base of the crown and together with numerous side roots, form a fibrous mass. The roots of healthy, well grown strawberries in good soil can extend to a considerable depth and growth can be extremely rapid. In Northern Ireland the growth of the strawberry plant ceases in late autumn when the plant becomes dormant and begins again as temperatures increase in the spring. The younger leaves remain green in the winter although older leaves gradually die.

The strawberry plant grows rapidly in the spring after winter chilling. Flowers are produced in May and June, depending on variety, or earlier if protected by cloches or tunnels. The flower trusses are initiated in the crown of each plant during the previous autumn and to a great extent this determines the yield in the following year. Flower initiation depends on both day length and temperature. The trusses emerge in sequence on each crown and the flowers open in sequence on each truss, so giving a flowering period of approximately four weeks. One year old plants usually flower before older plants with only a small number of trusses with fewer flowers on each truss, so producing earlier fruit and generally bigger berries. Older plants produce heavier crops but berries tend to be smaller.

Strawberries are self-pollinating. Pollination is achieved mainly by insects but wind movement and moisture may also help.

To produce a well-shaped berry it is necessary for good pollination to be achieved otherwise the fruit will be malformed. After the flower is fertilised it is generally 4-6 weeks before the berry is ripe.