The Belle et Bonne strawberry plant is an old, non-remontant strawberry variety producing red fruits weighing 7 to 10 g with a very good flavor.

Strawberry planting period

Strawberry plants can be planted year-round, although the best planting time is in the fall (mid-August to October) or spring. Strawberry plants are not sensitive to frost, so you can safely plant them in the fall; they will have time to develop their root system before winter. Just beware of late frosts in April and May, which could damage the blooms.

Strawberry growing

If your soil is very chalky or very humid, prefer growing in pots or containers because the strawberry plant will have a lot of trouble growing there. Strawberries like rich soil, prepare your soil by adding manure or compost to your soil a month beforehand, as well as an organic fertilizer. Plant your strawberry plants in a sunny location in rows, on 80 cm wide and 20 cm high mounds. You can plant two rows of strawberry plants 40 cm apart and 30 cm apart in the row. Plan aisles 70 cm wide between the mounds. Do not plant too densely to avoid gray mold attacks on the fruit (Botrytis cinerea). Mulch the strawberry plants; this will prevent the development of weeds, maintain moisture in the soil, and the fruit will be insulated from the ground. Water regularly during hot weather. To encourage rooting and vegetative development, it is essential to cut the flower stems within a month of planting. Subsequently, during cultivation, the runners (or filaments) must be cut. In the fall, clean the plants (remove dry leaves and suckers) and apply a copper-based product if the leaves have numerous purple spots.

Strawberry harvest

Pick strawberries in the morning, they will be more fragrant.