'Never buy another strawberry plant again' with gardener's supermarket tip

Summer is here, and there are few things better when the sun is shining than enjoying some delicious, fresh, and sweet strawberries. Whether it's with cream, stirred into yoghurt or porridge, on top of a cheesecake, or mixed into a smoothie, there's something about that taste that just says summer. Of course, you can buy them from your local grocery store or supermarket - but somehow they always taste better when you've grown them yourself.

And it turns out growing your own strawberries is simple. A gardening expert has revealed his method for growing the delicious fruit, saying his method means "you'll never have to buy another strawberry plant again".

Ifzaal demonstrated the method on TikTok, where he has more than 26,000 followers and is known as Nature with Ifzaal. Opening his clip, he said: "This is what happens when you grab any shop-bought strawberry and slice away the outer layer. You'll only need one strawberry for this, but it can get quite fiddly, so use a sharp knife."

In the clip, Ifzaal can be seen cutting thin strips off the surface of the strawberry and placing them on a piece of kitchen roll. "Make sure every slice is nice and thin, just like this," he said. "Next, grab yourself a piece of kitchen paper and lay it on a flat surface so that you can start to place your strawberry slices on it."

Showing the paper with dried red stains where the slices were, he continued: "After leaving them to dry for a few days, you should have something that looks like this. The strawberry slices will have dried off completely, allowing you to just rub off the seeds nice and easily."

The clip shows Ifzaal gently rubbing the paper, causing the tiny seeds on the strawberry's surface to fall off. "The seeds are really tiny and hard to see, so I advise dropping them into a white plate so you can keep track of where they're falling," he said.

Continuing, he said: "Now grab yourself a small container and fill it with compost. I'm just using the container that the strawberries came in.

"After that, you need to gently sprinkle the strawberry seeds on top of the compost, just like this. Keep the soil moist and pretty soon you'll have some seedlings. To add moisture, just use a spray bottle or a misting bottle like I'm doing here.

"After a couple of months, they'll be ready to plant outside. By following this really easy method, you'll never have to buy another strawberry plant again."

When is the right time to plant strawberries?

While it may be too late to plant strawberries to enjoy this summer, you can still get started on a crop for next year. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), planting them in August or September gives the plants time to get established before fruiting next year.

The RHS explains that strawberries can be grown in a dedicated bed or patch, as well as in large pots, growing bags, hanging baskets, and window boxes, and should be in a sheltered position with full sun, although some shade is acceptable. They should not be planted in areas prone to late frost.

The organisation says: "Strawberries are easy to grow in pots, growing bags, hanging baskets, troughs and tubs. Although traditional strawberry pots (with planting holes around the sides) look attractive, they can make it difficult to maintain healthy, productive plants.

"Simply fill a large container with peat-free multi-purpose or soil-based compost and plant with the crown just level with the surface. Space plants about 20cm (8in) apart. Position the container in a sheltered, sunny spot and water regularly."

Strawberry plants should be watered regularly while they are establishing, especially those in containers and hanging baskets, as compost can dry out quickly. It is best to avoid wetting the centre, or the crown of the plant or the fruit, as this can lead to fungal problems.