Strawberry
Fragaria x ananassa
- Wants
- Bright direct
- Tolerates
- Bright direct down to bright direct
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Pets
- Safe
- Outdoors
- Hardy
Why it wants that
Sun is what the fruit is made of rather than what the plant survives on - Utah State puts the number for a full crop at 'at least eight hours of full sun each day', while NC State's 6-hour threshold is what the leaves need to keep going.
Too little light
Leaves get large, thin and long-stalked and the plant puts its energy into runners instead of flowers; the few fruits that set stay small, pale and sharp-tasting, and grey mould gets into them.
Too much
Leaf margins scorch and brown and ripening fruit softens and cooks on the side facing the sun - but this only happens when the pot has run dry, which is the real cause.