In the Mediterranean region, the evergreen Arbutus is often cultivated for ornamental purposes. The decorative exotic is also suitable for our gardens, especially since it proves to be extremely easy to care for. Thanks to the red fruits that are reminiscent of ripe strawberries and the flower umbels that appear at the same time, this tree is a beautiful eye-catcher.
How do you care for a strawberry tree?
You care for a strawberry tree by using lime-free water, fertilizing every three weeks, repotting in spring, protecting in winter and cutting back if necessary. Make sure there is sufficient moisture without waterlogging and observe the plant for pests or diseases.
Water requirements
Keep the soil constantly moist during the summer months. Waterlogging must be avoided at all costs, so pour away any excess liquid in the saucer after a few minutes. Always use lime-free water, such as rainwater, as Arbutus does not tolerate lime.
How to fertilize?
For fertilization, you can use commercially available complete fertilizer (€47.00 on Amazon), which is administered at intervals of around three weeks.
Strawberry trees cultivated outdoors provide you with fully ripe compost in April and July. Further fertilizer applications are not necessary here.
How to repot?
Pay attention to the following points when carrying out this care measure:
- Repotting takes place in spring.
- The substrate used must be lime-free.
- Mix commercial potting soil with quartz sand.
- Choose a planter with a good vent and cover the vent hole with a pottery shard.
- A drainage layer made of expanded clay to avoid waterlogging is recommended.
You should not transplant trees growing outdoors because the strawberry tree doesn't like it at all. Often the plants then no longer thrive.
Can the tree be cut?
Arbutus is relatively pruning tolerant. In early spring you can shorten those shoots that do not bear fruit. After the possible harvest in late summer, branches that have become too long are cut back. The strawberry tree also doesn't mind if individual, disruptive shoots are shortened during the growing season.
How do you overwinter?
- Planted strawberry trees in Germany need sufficient winter protection.
- Place potted plants in a room that is as cool and bright as possible.
- Arbutus also feels comfortable in the winter garden during the cold season.
- Wate only sips at a time so that the substrate does not dry out completely.
- There is no fertilization at all.
Pests and diseases
Arbutus is extremely robust and is rarely attacked by vermin. Only aphids, which can be easily controlled with environmentally friendly products, can occasionally appear.
Sometimes excessive leaf shedding becomes a problem. As an evergreen plant, Arbutus loses foliage throughout the year because this is the only way new leaves can form. By:
- Growth problems
- watering too often or too infrequently
- unfavorable weather conditions
- to calcareous soil with high pH
the tree gets stressed. Then an excessive number of leaves turn yellow and are dropped. If you eliminate the cause, the plant will usually recover quickly.
Leaf spot disease or powdery mildew occur very rarely. These fungal diseases can be easily combated with suitable means.
Tip
You can easily propagate strawberry trees yourself from cuttings. Growing from seeds is also easy with a little patience.
