Soft fruit bushes underplanted with strawberries?

[Snadger]

Anyone tried this and does it work?

[cheops]

I don’t think your strawberries will flourish. And of course a lot depends just how shaded they will be. Perhaps others will say different — i have never tried strawberries in shade. Earlier this year I grew some of my spring onions just in front of a row of currant bushes. There was enough shade surprisingly to make the spring onions very spindly with virtually no bulbs.

[Thelma Sanders]

I successfully grow strawberries with blackberry and Loganberry trained on wires at the back of the bed.

The strawbs make good ground cover, for the climbing plants but the plants at the front always grow bigger berries than the ones at the back. I don't know if it's more shade or root competition that makes the difference.

[Jay-ell]

Done it in the Jungle. The strawbs under the raspberries and black currants were stifled. Those under the cordoned goosegogs and red currants were OK.

[Snadger]

Done it in the Jungle. The strawbs under the raspberries and black currants were stifled. Those under the cordoned goosegogs and red currants were OK.

I will be growing gooseberries, redcurrants and whitecurrants as half standards. Maybe just grow my strawberries under these and the blackcurrants and raspberries separate on another part of the plot?

I will see how space works out and could stick with a separate strawberry bed. the beauty of having them together is you only need net one area.

[veggiechicken]

Had my best ever strawberries this year under some dwarf cherry trees. Didn't have any cherries though.

[Jay-ell]

Half standards should work as there's more light getting to them and you know how light and spread out everything is in the jungle .

The ones under the cordons were a pain to harvest - all those spines on the goosegogs but on a half standard these will be higher up - about eye level when your bent over harvesting. Safety Gear may be needed.

[mrswadders]

Have had the best ever harvest of strawberries this year's,loads and loads. They are planted in the same bed as redcurrants,gooseberries,blackcurrants and climbing blackberries,Tay berries and Logan berries at the back. Don't know if the lovely summer did it but I have never grown strawberries like it.could just be the lovely Lincolnshire soil or pure fluke!!!

[chrisdb]

I use strawberries as a ground-cover in various parts of the garden, including under currants and apple trees. My experience is that under dense cover they don't do well, but they do just fine around the outside with partial shading. Don't expect the same yields as if you cosseted them, but you will get something.

Regard them as a low maintenance weed barrier that happens to produce some fruit.