Daily gardening tip · Southern hemisphere · Friday 9 October 2026 · mid spring
Protecting Developing Strawberries with Straw
As spring strawberry plants begin to flower and set fruit, keeping the berries off the wet ground prevents rot and keeps them clean.
20 minuteseasymulching
Gently clear any weeds from around the base of your strawberry plants.
Gather a bag or bale of clean, organic straw, such as wheat or pea straw.
Tuck a thick layer of straw, about two inches deep, under the leaves and around the stem of each plant.
Lift any low-hanging green strawberries so they rest directly on top of the dry straw rather than the soil.
Why it works
Strawberries are highly susceptible to rot when they touch damp soil. A dry layer of straw lifts the heavy, developing fruit off the ground, improves air circulation around the berries, and stops dirt from splashing onto them when you water.
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