Strawberries

Bare-Rooted Rōpere (Strawberries) – Straight from the Māra to You 🍓

This week’s box includes bare-rooted rōpere plants, lovingly harvested from runners at Maara Hapi. A huge mihi to them for sharing the love — and even bigger gratitude to Yotam Kay of @pakaraka_permaculture, whose generosity of knowledge helps us all grow a little better.

Yotam is a dedicated organic grower based in the Coromandel, and he’s put together a complete guide to growing strawberries at home. Here’s a quick overview with some of our key takeaways:

“Strawberries are one of the most heavily sprayed fruits, which is why it really is worth the effort to grow them at home. They connect you to your garden, as you come back to them every day for months during the season.”
- Yotam Kay, Pakaraka Permaculture

Getting Started

• Runners (like the ones in your box) can be planted straight into their final spot, or temporarily into a bucket of sand, potting mix, sawdust, or another bed.
• Before planting: soak the roots for a few hours in water. Add diluted fish or seaweed fertiliser if you’ve got some handy.
• Choose a sunny, wind-sheltered spot. Add 10–20L of compost per metre, and mulch with straw, compost, woodchips, or weedmat.

Planting Tips

• Plant 30–40cm apart.
• When planting, point the roots straight down (no J shapes!), and ensure good soil contact.
• Trim overly long roots and any tired-looking leaves.
• The crown (the bit between the leaves and the roots) should sit just above soil level.

Aftercare

• Keep the soil moist while the plants establish – this is when they’re most vulnerable.
• Yotam recommends removing the first few flowers to allow the plant to focus on root development.

📅 Planting season: May to September (the earlier, the better for summer varieties).

For the full growing guide and more awesome resources from Yotam, visit: www.pakarakafarm.co.nz