Strawberries are easy to grow, which makes them such a popular crop in British gardens, but they can stop producing their delicious red berries if they cannot get enough water. They are very thirsty plants with shallow roots, which means strawberries are very vulnerable in the hot summer weather as water can quickly evaporate from the soil.
This means the soil you are growing strawberries in might not be getting enough moisture, even if you are watering them regularly. This can cause strawberry plants to dry out and even stop producing fruit, to conserve energy in order to survive.
However, you do not need to hover around the garden with a hose, as the experts at Monrovia have shared there is a simple way to keep strawberries watered so they keep growing fruit.
They said: “Strawberries generally prefer spring and early summer when the soil is still cool. During summer, the soil of course heats up.
“You can help to keep it a bit cooler with applications of organic mulch. An extra layer now can encourage late fruiting.”
Mulching is the gardening practice of covering the soil around plants with material to protect them from extreme weather, but in summer it keep strawberries cool and hydrated
Certain organic mulch will retain more water which will drip into the soil and keep the strawberries watered consistently despite the extreme heat.
Strawberry roots are very sensitive to heat, but will prevents them from overheating so they stay healthy even during a heatwave.
One of the best mulches for strawberries is straw, as it can hold lot of water, is light and reflect ligh upwards which helps fruit grow more evenly.
However, pine needles are also fantastic for strawberries as it also keeps moisture locked into the soil while also being slightly acidic which the plant will love
How to mulch strawberries in summer
Before you begin mulching make sure to weed the area and poke around as you need to make sure to look for any stay ripened fruit that can be easily missed.
Any overripe fruit will encourage mould and even pests so make sure to take the time tp [ocl all the berries on a strawberry plant.
Then, simply spread a thin layer of the mulch around the base of the plant. You need just enough to cover the soil, as too much can clump together and prevent sunlight from reaching the roots.
Mulch can retain lots of moisture so you need to keep it away from the crown of strawberries as too much water could cause rotting or even disease.
Check the soil regularly to make sure it is moist and your strawberries should continue to grow plump and ripe through the summer no matter the weather.