Musk strawberry

Musk strawberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, dense clump 20–30 cm tall and up to 40 cm wide, spreading by runners.

Leaves

Trifoliate, with oval, toothed and slightly hairy leaflets; fresh green.

Flower

White flowers with five petals, from May to June; plants are often male or female.

Fruit

Small, round to conical fruits with a strong musky aroma, ripe in June–July.

Roots

Fibrous and shallow: the plant dries out quickly, so keep the soil moist.

Flowering: May–June · Harvest and fruit: June–July · Plants: March–April and September · Pruning: August

Why grow it?

• A special, intense musky flavour you will not find in any shop-bought strawberry.
• Blooms in May–June with white flowers that attract bees.
• Fully hardy and easy: grows in sun and light shade.
• Pretty as ground cover under fruit trees or along a path.
• An old and unusual crop for anyone who likes curiosities in the vegetable garden.

Musk strawberry: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in full midday sun the soil should preferably stay moist.
• Humus-rich, well-drained and moisture-retentive soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normally moist: it dislikes long drought, but also wet feet.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart; group at least 5 plants so that males and females are included.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Chives: Same position and care; a healthy neighbour in the vegetable garden.
• Borage: Blue flowers that attract bees for better pollination.
• Pot marigold: Orange flowers that attract bees and hoverflies.
• Cowslip: A spring flower for the same partial shade.

Musk strawberry: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September.

1. Plant in March–April or in September, when the soil is not frozen or too wet.
2. Buy several plants, preferably from different sources, so that males and females are included.
3. Dig a hole as deep as the pot and mix in some compost.
4. Set the plant with the crown (the heart) at soil level: too deep causes rot, too high lets the roots dry out.
5. Plant 30–40 cm apart and water in well at once.
6. Spread a layer of straw or bark around the plants: it keeps the soil moist and the fruit clean.

Care

Water

Keep the soil moist, especially during flowering and fruit ripening. Water at the base, not over flowers and fruit.

Feeding

In spring, compost or organic feed; after harvest, a potash-rich feed for next year’s flower buds.

Mulching

A layer of straw or bark keeps the fruit clean, the soil moist and weeds away.

Runners

Cut off runners if you do not want new plants; let a few root for propagation.

Renewing

After 3–4 years yield and quality drop; plant new plants from runners in a different spot.

Tip: Plant at least five together: many plants are male or female, and only female plants give fruit. A layer of straw keeps the fruit clean and the soil moist.

Musk strawberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: August.

When: After harvest, in August: cut off old and diseased leaves.

How:

• After harvest, cut off old, dried or diseased leaves, leaving the heart of the plant intact.
• Cut off runners you do not need, close to the mother plant.
• In spring, remove dead leaves and add compost.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Runners

In July–August: let a runner root, pinned down with a stone if needed, and cut it free after 4–6 weeks. Plant it in September in its spot.

Division

In September or spring: divide an old clump into pieces with roots and replant them.

Seed

In spring indoors: the seed germinates slowly and unevenly, and you get both male and female plants.

Musk strawberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: even in hard Belgian winters no protection is needed.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered spot and wrap the pot in hessian so the roots do not freeze.
• A layer of autumn leaves or straw around the base protects the crown from hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Slugs eat the ripe fruit. Spread straw, use iron phosphate pellets or collect them in the evening.
• Birds: Blackbirds and thrushes pick the fruit. A net over the plants helps.
• Grey mould: Grey, fluffy mould on fruit in damp weather. Mulch with straw, leave space and remove affected fruit.
• Vine weevil: The grubs eat the roots, especially in pots: the plant wilts. Do not let the soil stay wet too long and add biological nematodes.
• No fruit: Only male or only female plants. Group at least 5 plants.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Add compost.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch.
• May: Flowering. Water in dry weather.
• June: First harvest. Pick ripe fruit.
• July: Harvest. Let runners root for propagation.
• August: Cut off old leaves. Give a potash-rich feed.
• September: Plant or move. Cut runners free.
• October: Mulch for winter.
• December: Rest.

Edible and useful

Fruit (June–July)

The fruits ripen in June and July. Larger than wild strawberries, dark red to purplish and soft, they have a strong scent of musk, raspberry and pineapple. Pick them when they are deeply coloured and soft; they ripen one by one. Best fresh, with a little cream or in a simple fruit salad. Musk strawberries often need a male and a female plant to bear fruit.

Storing

Soft and fragile: eat them the same day. A day at most in the fridge, spread out in a dish. They can be frozen, spread on a tray, for a sauce or ice cream.

Caution: Musk strawberries are safe; people allergic to strawberries react to them too. Wash them briefly and gently, or not at all: they soak up water and lose their scent.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Musk strawberries with lemon cream (Dish · 4 people · 10 min)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Before the modern, large-fruited garden strawberry appeared in the 18th century, musk strawberries were also grown in gardens.
• Unlike most strawberries, the flowers of many musk strawberries are functionally male or female.
• A strawberry is not a true berry: the flesh is a swollen flower base, and the true fruits are the small seeds on the outside.