Strawberry 'Symphony'

A Reliable Late-Season Strawberry, Bred for British Conditions

Strawberry 'Symphony' is a tried-and-tested favourite for gardeners who want a generous crop of good-looking, full-flavoured berries without any fuss. It was bred in Scotland with cooler, damper summers in mind, so it copes well with the ups and downs of the British weather. The plants are strong and vigorous. Each summer they produce plenty of bright red, glossy strawberries with a classic, old-fashioned strawberry taste.

'Symphony' is a summer-fruiting, mid-to-late season variety. It starts cropping a little later than many of the popular early and mid-season types. That makes it a perfect partner for an earlier variety, as together they stretch your harvest well into July.

Key Features

• Bright red, glossy berries with a regular, attractive shape

• A traditional, fruity strawberry flavour rather than just sweetness

• Firm fruit that keeps well after picking

• Mid-to-late season cropping, typically from mid-June to late July depending on the weather

• Vigorous, strong-growing plants that establish quickly

• Bred to tolerate damper conditions and a wider range of soils than many varieties

• Good resistance to red core, a troublesome root disease of strawberries

• Produces plenty of runners, so you can easily make new plants for free

• Happy in beds, containers and growbags

Size and Growth

Like most strawberries, 'Symphony' is a low, compact plant. It typically grows to around 15 to 30 centimetres tall, with each plant spreading to roughly 30 to 45 centimetres. It's a perennial and will crop for several years, although yields are usually best in the first three years or so. After that, most gardeners replace their plants with fresh, healthy young ones, often rooted from the plant's own runners.

Where to Plant

For the sweetest, most plentiful crop, give 'Symphony' a warm, sheltered spot.

• Position: Full sun is best. Sunshine ripens the fruit and brings out the flavour.

• Soil: A fertile, well-drained soil enriched with plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure is ideal. 'Symphony' copes better with heavier or damper ground than many varieties, but it still won't enjoy being waterlogged.

• Shelter: A spot protected from strong winds helps pollinating insects do their job and keeps plants happy.

• Crop rotation: Avoid planting where strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes or chrysanthemums have grown recently, as this can increase the risk of soil-borne diseases.

Growing in Containers

'Symphony' grows well in pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and growbags. This makes it a great option for patios, balconies and small gardens. Use a good-quality multi-purpose compost, and allow roughly three plants per growbag or one plant per 15 to 20 centimetre pot. Container-grown plants dry out quickly, so water them regularly during the growing season. Feed them every week or two once flowering begins. Raising the fruit off the ground in pots also helps keep it clean and out of reach of slugs.

Planting Guide

1. Prepare the bed by digging in plenty of garden compost or well-rotted manure.

2. If you're planting bare-root runners, soak the roots in water for about 20 minutes before planting.

3. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots out comfortably.

4. Set the plant so that the crown (the point where the leaves meet the roots) sits level with the soil surface. If it's planted too deep, it may rot. If it's planted too shallow, it may dry out.

5. Firm the soil gently around the roots and water well.

6. Space plants about 45 centimetres apart, with around 75 centimetres between rows.

Care and Maintenance

Watering

Keep plants well watered, especially in dry spells and while the fruit is swelling. Water at the base of the plants rather than over the leaves and fruit. This helps prevent mould. Morning watering is ideal.

Feeding

Once flowers appear, feed every one to two weeks with a high-potash liquid fertiliser, such as tomato feed. This encourages plenty of flowers and good-quality fruit.

Protecting the Fruit

As the berries develop, tuck a layer of straw or a strawberry mat underneath them. This keeps the fruit clean, stops it rotting on damp soil, and helps deter slugs. Cover plants with netting to stop birds helping themselves to your crop.

Runners

'Symphony' is a keen producer of runners, the long stems that grow out from the plant with small new plantlets on the end. During the fruiting season, it's best to snip most of them off so the plant puts its energy into fruit. If you'd like new plants, peg a few healthy plantlets into small pots of compost, sitting beside the parent plant. Once they've rooted, cut them free and grow them on.

After Harvest

Once cropping has finished, cut back the old leaves to a few centimetres above the crown, taking care not to damage the crown itself. Clear away the straw and any debris, and remove unwanted runners. This tidy-up lets fresh, healthy leaves grow and reduces the risk of pests and diseases carrying over.

Harvesting and Enjoying Your Strawberries

Pick the berries when they're fully red all over, ideally on a warm, dry day when the flavour is at its best. Pick every day or two during the peak of the season, taking the fruit with its green stalk still attached to help it keep. The firm berries of 'Symphony' hold up well after picking. They're delicious eaten fresh, served with cream, piled onto pavlovas or tossed into summer salads, and they also make excellent jam.

Why Choose Strawberry 'Symphony'?

'Symphony' is a dependable, hard-working strawberry that suits British gardens down to the ground. It's vigorous, tolerant of less-than-perfect conditions and generous with its crop. Its glossy, full-flavoured berries arrive just as many other varieties are finishing. Whether you grow it in a traditional bed, on an allotment or in pots on the patio, it's an easy way to enjoy homegrown strawberries through the height of summer.