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Strawberries
The berry fruit strawberry is a hungry plant, but well worth the effort for the luscious, sweet fruit rewards.
Stawberries (Fragaria) are a large commercial crop in many areas of Australia. While growers are encouraged to move towards IPM - Integrated Pest Management - strawberries can still be a crop with high pesticide inputs, which is a very good reason to get growing them at home. There are of course, certified organic growers, whose pesticide use is very limited.
In commercial growing, strawberries are often grown in cloches or plastic tunnels, which encourages Red Spider Mite (Two-Spotted Mite) but control success has been found with the use of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. The protected cloche environment can also create the perfect environment for disease outbreaks.
Home Grown
In the home garden, these problems are more easily prevented but strawberries are just as susceptible to a wide range of pests from weevils to caterpillars. In a mixed veggie and herb garden situation where pest repellant plants are dotted around, this is likely to reduce infestation, but it pays to remain vigilant.
Strawberries (incidentally, from the Rosaceae Family, which includes roses, apples, pears and plums) can be grown just about anywhere in Australia. Soil preparation is extremely important, as it needs to contain plenty of manure and organic matter.
It's also important to mulch plants and the best is probably pea straw. Pea straw not only prevents moisture loss over summer and provides extra nutrition as it breaks down, but it keeps the fruit clean!
Strawberries will often need applications of liquid fertiliser regularly too.
Strawberries also do very well in pots. There are even special pots for strawberry growing, with holes around the sides. Strawberry plants look very enticing spilling from these pots.
Plants are more likely to remain healthy if not stressed.
If plants are being persistently attacked by Red Spider Mite, it could be that they aren't planted in the best situation. Maybe there's too much shade or the plants are being crowded. Garlic is a good repellant of Spider Mite.
If strawberry plants are attacked by fungus disease, this is also likely to be an indicator that the plant is in the wrong spot - again, too much shade or the plants are being crowded. Or maybe they are being over-watered.
Virus-free strawberries are commonly available in garden centres, so virus problems shouldn't be an issue.
When to Plant
Plants are available throughout spring and summer, and crowns (the leafless central base of the plant) can be bought in winter.
Care
Strawberries run! They send out runners which will try to establish roots and a new plant. These runners must be cut off as they take energy away from fruit production.
The only other major concerns are water and nutrients. Strawberries need water to produce luscious fruit and plenty of food (always follow instructions on labels though - like any plant, you can kill them with over-fertilising).
Whilst not the longest living of the continual harvest plants, strawberry plants will produce well for three to five years. Replant new plants in a different area (as per crop rotation principles). This will reduce the build up of pathogens like bacterial diseases.
Footnote
Commercial (and not certified organic) growers rely on some fairly harsh chemicals. For example, strawberry growers continue to seek special exemption from the ban on the soil fumigant, methyl bromide. This fumigant has been banned worldwide under the Montreal Protocol of 1998, because of its ozone-depleting substances. (ABC Rural, 16 October 2007)
Information sources:
Yates Garden Guide, 42nd Edition, 2006, published by Harper Collins Publishers.
http://www.goodbugs.org.au/news.htm
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