Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo

Planting Advice for Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo

• Select an appropriate spot with enough space to allow your plants to grow. Sun and warmth are essential, so choose a sheltered position in well-drained soil as plants dislike wet roots.
• Plant in spring where possible, to allow the plant several months to acclimatise before winter sets in.
• Dig a hole twice the width of the roots, forking over the bottom to loosen the soil, then add some good quality fertiliser, compost or well-rotted manure. We've found that a square hole is better than a round one as the new roots, once they reach the edges tend to grow in a circle round the circumference of the hole whereas when they reach the corners of a square hole, they find it easier to grow through.
• Plant at the same depth as the tree was in its pot.
• Holding the tree upright in position with one hand, slowly backfill the hole with soil, so the soil falls back around the roots.
• Compact the soil around the plant with your heel to ensure good contact around the roots.
• Spread Mycorrhizal granules in contact with the roots when planting.
• Mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.
• Do not allow plants to dry out. Water the plants at least weekly – especially in dry weather – for the first 8 weeks.

Aftercare Advice for your Strawberry Tree

• Plants can develop spotty leaves in the autum, but these tend to fall to be replaced by new ones. These leaves can be removed by hand to imrpove the look of your tree.

Pruning Advice for Arbutus Strawberry Tree

• There is no real need to prune trees and shrubs for the first couple of years. Prune established trees in summer using good quality secateurs, removing weak shoots and overlapping branches.
• Pruning can be kept to a minimum and is just a case of removing any dead or damaged branches.
• Strawberry trees naturally produce a lot of twiggy branches which die back - these can be removed to expose the peeling bark.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when its due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.