June isnt June without strawberries

The month of June would not be complete for any horticultural enthusiast without strawberries in the garden, it has been asserted.

Gardening expert Caroline Foley makes her comments in her blog on the online pages of the Guardian, suggesting that the runners which appear this month should be cut off.

She explains that they will sap the energy from the plant if they are left, resulting in smaller fruit being produced.

Ms Foley recommends that gardeners wait until strawberries finish fruiting to propagate from them.

"Peg the runners down with hairpins of wire (an unwound paperclip will do the trick) until they root either in the ground or in pots of compost. Detach them from the parent plant when you see new shoots appearing," she suggests.

The Royal Horticultural Society states that strawberries thrive in sunshine, do not grow well with wet roots and that they prefer a well-drained site.