This wonderful “Heritage variety” of alpine Strawberry produces loads of little red strawberries that are bursting with flavour.

The strawberries are much sweeter than their traditional commercial cousins and possess a fine, old fashioned flavour. Plants have compact growth with few runners making them excellent for rock gardens, pots and pathways.
An alpine Strawberry that is very hard to find, excellent for high altitude climates!

Prepare the site:
Strawberries do not like wet roots, preferring a well-drained site with a preferably slightly acid, medium loam. They tolerate shade but thrive in sunshine. Avoid frost pockets and protect the early flowers overnight, with horticultural fleece. To avoid disease build-up, grow strawberries in a different plot every three years. Add lots of well-rotted manure, turning it in well so the roots do not actually touch the manure and add Growmore in the Spring.

Sowing:
Sow in Autumn or Spring at a maximum of 5°C (41°F), using a well drained compost.
Plant out in spring or in early autumn. If in spring, de-blossom the plants in the first season to enable their roots to establish. Crowns should be at soil level, 40cm (16in) apart in the row with 1m (3ft) between the rows. Many gardeners grow strawberries through black polythene to keep the fruit off the soil. This also suppresses weeds, conserves water and stops soil splashing on the fruit. Otherwise, tuck straw or stones under the developing trusses.

Tending:
When watering, do not wet the fruits, as they will develop botrytis, so use a watering can, and gently water near the crowns. Do not use a hosepipe, as it will spray the fruits, and disease will follow. Plants should be mulched in the winter

Harvesting:
After the final harvest, tuck any spare runners into the row to fill in gaps or replace old plants. Remove any unwanted runners. Cut back the remaining foliage to about 10cm (4in) above the crown to allow the new leaves to come through. Water thoroughly and feed with a multi-purpose fertiliser such as Growmore.

Propagation:
Strawberry plants have a 3 year cycle…. the first year you get a small crop…the second year you get a large crop, and possibly the third year, but after three years, they lose their oomph! Strawberries can be propagated in late summer, but no later than the first week of September, by sinking 9cm (3.5in) pots of cuttings compost into the beds and inserting individual runners into them. Sever the new young plants from the parent plant when rooted

Companion Plants:
Strawberries are good companion plants for Lettuce, Onion and Spinach