Tomato Feed Boosts Strawberry Sweetness
Gardening experts recommend feeding strawberries with a potassium-rich fertiliser, such as tomato feed, to significantly enhance their sweetness and flavour. The advice comes as UK strawberry season peaks in July, with the fruit naturally at its sweetest and juiciest during this period.
Strawberries are prized for their sweet taste, which makes them a popular choice for desserts. The fruit becomes sweeter as it ripens, with greater sunlight exposure leading to higher sugar levels and preventing a sour taste. Ideal conditions include warm days with plenty of sunshine and cooler nights, which bring out the best flavour.
Weather Impact on Strawberry Flavour
According to the Met Office, spring this year was the warmest on record for England and Wales and the third warmest overall in the UK, providing favourable conditions for a sweet strawberry crop. However, the weather can be changeable, and with the UK strawberry season running from late May to early September, conditions can heavily impact flavour. Excessive heat can result in a bitter taste, while high humidity can lead to more watery, less flavourful berries.
While weather cannot be controlled, gardeners growing strawberries at home can take steps to enhance sweetness without relying on ideal conditions. The key is to feed the plants with a fertiliser rich in potassium, such as tomato feed.
Potassium-Rich Feed for Sugar Production
Tomato feed, though not an obvious choice, is highly beneficial for strawberry growth and development, particularly for sugar production. It is rich in potassium, which is crucial for developing sweeter fruits. Regularly watering with a liquid fertiliser like Tomorite can help strawberries produce more sugar and enhance overall flavour.
In online advice, Garden Centre Chris Bowers & Sons stated: “You will definitely want to feed your strawberries in order to help the plants develop the flavour; starving plants, even if they may look healthy enough, will not yield well flavoured fruits. The choice of fertiliser here is key – you want one with lots of potassium because it has been proven that plants fed with a potassium rich feed develop more sugar and a better flavour! Tomato feed [Tomorite or similar] is the most well known fertiliser within this category, it’s easy to find and use.”
Feeding Schedule for Best Results
Gardener's World recommends feeding strawberry plants with a high-potash feed, such as tomato feed, every week or two while the plant is actively flowering and producing fruit. This is particularly important for plants growing in containers, as nutrients wash out of the soil quickly and need to be replenished.
Gardener's World added: “Strawberries grow extremely well in pots, hanging baskets and window boxes. Choose a deep pot that's at least 15cm wide and plant one strawberry per pot. They thrive in moist but well-drained conditions, so use a soil-based compost with a deep layer of gravel or broken crocks in the base. Encourage flowers and fruit set by feeding with a liquid high potash feed (such as tomato food) every week or two from early spring onwards.”
