Wall of Strawberries

 Never had much luck growing strawberries - most of the produce being eaten by birds, slugs, snails and rodents. I often find woodlice in and around damaged fruits but I suspect they are just scavenging on damaged berries.

Past failures are not, however, going to stop me trying again (note to myself: a fool is someone who keeps repeating his mistakes while expecting a different outcome). This time I'm going to create a wall of strawberry plants hoping the height above ground will deter at least some of the slugs and snails. I will need to add some protection against birds, probably netting of some sort. The other issue is irrigation to encourage juicy plump fruit. I will address this issue later.

My first job was to screw some tanalised timber battens to the south-east facing wall. Here I am using Worth Wall Planters bought quite a few years ago. They seem to be very similar, if not identical, to the current version. Other wall planters are available. It is possible to fix these planters to the wall using fewer battens (e.g. see here), but this arrangement is stronger and stabler.

Photo 1: Almost Finished Fixing Wall Planters to Battens

Photo 2: Installation Complete

The strawberry plants arrived a few weeks ago from D.T. Brown. They were immediately potted up in Fertile Fibre Potting Compost and hardened off in the polytunnel. There are 32 strawberry plants in this wall: 12 x Malling Champion, 10 x Summer Breeze (Snow), and 10 x Summer Breeze (Rose)

Photo 3: The Wall of Strawberry Plants (3rd May 2025)

Work still to do: (i) attach net and support to deter birds, and (ii) fix up some form of automatic irrigation system.

Historical Note: We found the W. Earp & Son enamelled sign in the cellar. It is not a reference to Wyatt Earp (of OK Corral Fame) but to the lesser known Willam Earp, a nurseryman, seedsman and florist who business was in the adjoining street.