Strawberry 'Melba'

Strawberry ‘Melba’ is an Australian bred variety that has consistent, large fruits. They look good and taste even better. They have a yummy fragrance too. The fruit even holds up well in rain.

Strawberry ‘Melba’ is day neutral which means it fruits throughout the year (whenever the temperate is between 20-30C). Plant growth is concentrated on fruit rather than runner production.

Strawberries are absolutely delicious and so simple to grow. You could try them in pots, hanging baskets, vegetable gardens or ornamental beds. I grow mine on the edge of a rock wall which makes them nice and easy to pick, while giving the plants plenty of sprawl. If you grow yours in pots, they will need a bit of extra attention with water and fertiliser as they are totally reliant on you.

Strawberries flourish in well drained, fertile soils and need at least six hours of sun a day to fruit well. We recommend mulching your Strawberries to help keep the area free of weeds and to lock in the moisture. It is also a good idea to protect your Strawberries from slugs, snails and birds. Remove the runners in the first year so you get the best fruits, then in the coming seasons you can use them to bulk up your patch and produce new plants.

It is remarkable how the taste of home grown strawberries is so much sweeter than the ones from the supermarket.