Garden strawberry "Opera", bare root

• Type: garden strawberry plant, June-bearing
• Botanical name: Fragaria × ananassa "Opera"
• Origin: Netherlands, Fresh Forward
• Season: mid-season, with Elsanta; long harvest
• Berry: large, glossy, deep red, round to conical
• Flavour: balanced, sweet with light acidity
• Shelf life: good, about 10 days at 7 °C
• Resistance: moderate to Verticillium and Phytophthora, good to powdery mildew
• Growing: tunnel, greenhouse, raised bed; open ground with cover

When to plant. Plant strawberry plants in spring (late April – May) or in late summer and early autumn (August – early September), so they root well before winter.

Site and soil. Full sun and loose, fertile, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5–6.5) that never stays waterlogged. Avoid planting after potatoes or tomatoes, which leave diseases in the soil.

How to plant. Space plants 25–30 cm apart in the row and 60–80 cm between rows. Keep the crown level with the soil surface: buried crowns rot, crowns set too high dry out. Spread the roots, firm the soil and water.

Watering and feeding. Water regularly for two weeks after planting and during flowering and fruit swell. Drip irrigation and mulch (straw, fleece) keep berries clean and reduce grey mould. Feed with strawberry fertiliser in spring and a potassium-rich feed after harvest.

Care and winter. Remove surplus runners unless you want new plants. After cropping, cut off old and diseased leaves. In winters with little snow, cover the bed with fleece or spruce branches. Renew the bed every 3–4 years.