How to grow lots of strawberries (even if you don't have lots of space)

Strawberries are very straightforward plants - if you treat them right, they'll do right by you. So, if you want to grow lots of delicious strawberries [and who doesn't want to grow lots of delicious strawberries], I've put together a few things to help you on your way. The video below is of my daughters, Alíona and Claudia, showing off one of strawberry beds. This small bed, about 3x5 foot, produced hundreds of berries each summer. Find out how HERE. Cheers - Andy 

Back in Ballyvaughan

Burren Natural Strawberry were back in Ballyvaughan this Saturday for the first Ballyvaughan Farmer's Market of the new season. As well as having a nice selection of this year's plants for sale, I
spent the morning weaving some willow. The result was a new basket in red willow and sugan which I have, with the help of Robbie Ball, christened the Burren Spider. The basket is roughly 15 inches in diametre and 12 inches and will gradually turn more red and brown. If anyone would like to get their hands on some Burren Berries, or indeed a one-of-a-kind willow basket or willow Celtic figure, come
up to St john's Hall in Ballyvaughan any Saturday between 10am and 2pm. Alternatively you could always email burrenberries@gmail.com or call/text 086 3512763 for sale and delivery in the Clare/South Galway area. Now get planting! Andy  

Clare Garden Festival

Thanks to everyone who supported Burren Natural Strawberry Plants at last weekend's Clare Garden Festival in Ennis. We had a great day, meet lots of interesting people, saw some great plants and had our best ever day for sales of Burren Berries.

As a welcome to new strawberry growers, I will be blogging tips about starting a new strawberry patch in the coming weeks - starting with advice on where to locate your berries later this week. For those people new to Burren Natural Strawberry Plants, don't forget to like us on facebook or follow us twitter where you can get regular updates and growing tips.
To get your hands on some Burren Natural Strawberry Plants email burrenberries@gmail.com or call/text 086 3512763. We will be back at the Ballyvaughan Farmers Market this Saturday and every Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Not get planting! Andy 

Burren Natural Strawberry Plants at the Clare Garden Festival

Burren Natural Strawberry Plants will kick-start the strawberry planting season at the Clare Garden Festival in Ennis next Sunday, April 27. The festival, which takes place at the Ennis Showground from 11am to 6pm, was a great success last year with around 2,000 people turning out to hear the expert talks and see the best of local food, produce and, or course, strawberries. For more on the festival click HERE. Hope to see you there!
If you can't wait until the 27th, check out how you can get your hands on some Burren Natural Strawberry Plants HERE. Remember, strawberries are easy to grow, great to get kids interested in gardening and, of course, delicious!
Cheers,
Andy

Time to Plant

 With this rotten winter finally behind us (hopefully), the time is right to start thinking about getting the strawberry crop ready for summer.
 After wintering outdoors, the Burren Natural Strawberry Plants have come through the storms of January and February with flying colours, with some early bloomers already putting out flowers.
 Grown 100 per cent naturally, using no artificial fertilisers, pesticides or composts and potted into individual recycled containers, Burren Natural Strawberry Plants and June/July fruiting plants which produce large sweet berries which are suitable for growing outside, in hanging baskets, inside windows or window boxes and in green houses. They are east to grow and maintain and are an ideal started plant to get kids interested in growing.
 With only 500 plants available each year don't miss your chance to grow and enjoy your own delicious strawberries this summer. Click HERE for purchase information and price list.

Burren Natural Strawberry Plants
"I'm tough, I'm from Clare"

Managing that Heatwave

Hello strawberry lovers, this heatwave has been great for bringing on the main crop of berries this year but it is presenting growers with a problem that we haven't had to deal with in Ireland in living memory - drought. I picked two drills of berries yesterday and noticed a lot of scorched leaves, aborted berries and even some dead plants. So here is a quick list of things you can do to help you strawberries through the heat wave.

1. Watering: Watering in the evenings or very early mornings is the easiest way to solve the problem. Never, ever water in full sun, the quick evaporation from those big strawberry leaves will burn the plant.
2. Pruning: Strawberries lose most for their moisture through the leaves. Remove any leaves that are starting to brown - they are just a liability to the plant.

Lost of ripe berries but lots of scorched leaves...

3. Picking: At this time of the year most breeds of strawberries are putting all their energy into growing berries. So pick any ripe berries (like you're not doing this already) to conserve energy and water for the plants.
4. Mulch: Different mulches offer different things to strawberry plants but they will all help to preserve moisture around the plants. Of course, they can't make moisture out of this air - so it you are laying some bark or grass clippings or whatever in the hot weather - just water it in afterwards.
5. Old/aborted berries: If you see berries that are not right - maybe they're shriveled up or old or just not 100 per cent - remove them from the plant. Strawberries will naturally abort fruit if the growing conditions are not okay - and the berries just detach themselves from the plant. You can help this process along and save you plant some energy and water.

Welcome to Burren Natural Strawberry Plants

Time to Plant

With temperatures finally starting to rise in the West of Ireland now is the ideal time to plant your crop of strawberries for Summer 2013. Plants set down over the next three or four weeks should be established enough to provide a decent crop of berries by June or July - depending on the weather. Strawberries also work will in tunnels or greenhouses and you you could expect a crop from tunnel plants in a matter of weeks. A good idea is to split your plants between the tunnel and outside - this will give you two crops of berries instead of one. Burren Naturally Strawberry Plants are grown on a terraced field overlooking Liscannor Bay in County Clare, Ireland. Young runners plants are hand potted into natural local soil (grass compost), fertilised using natural local plants (nettles and comfrey) and planted using 100 per cent recycled pots and packaging.

To purchase Burren Natural Strawberry Plants email BurrenBerries or come see us at the Ballyvaughan Farmers Market every Saturday in Ballyvaughan from 10am to 2pm. Free delivery is available for large orders (more then 20 plants) in North Clare and South Galway area and collection is also available in Ennis.

The prices are as follows:
1 plant - €2
3 plants - €5
7 plants - €10
15 plants - €20 
20 plants - €25