Fertilising guide

How to fertilise Mignonette Alpine Strawberry (Fragaria vesca 'Mignonette')— schedule & NPK

Also called Mignonette Alpine Strawberry, Alpine Strawberry, Fraise des Bois.

More about mignonette alpine strawberry

About Mignonette Alpine Strawberry

Fragaria vesca 'Mignonette' · also called Mignonette Alpine Strawberry, Alpine Strawberry · edible

Mignonette is a classic French alpine strawberry selection producing small, conical red berries with exceptional fragrance and a rich, aromatic flavour. Runner-free and long-bearing, it crops reliably from early summer into autumn. An ideal edging or container plant, it tolerates more shade than garden strawberries and requires minimal maintenance once established.

Growth habit: Compact, runner-free rosette forming a tidy mound; spreads slowly by self-seeding in suitable conditions

What fertiliser mignonette alpine strawberry actually wants — and why

Mignonette Alpine Strawberry feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.

For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for mignonette alpine strawberry: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.

How often to feed mignonette alpine strawberry, and which months

Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For mignonette alpine strawberry:

Work a balanced fertiliser into the soil at planting. From first flower bud formation, switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) liquid fertiliser every 10–14 days until late summer to support fruiting. So: a balanced feed or compost at planting, then a high-potash liquid every 1-2 weeks from first flower through harvest across the main season (spring through early autumn).

The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when mignonette alpine strawberry is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.

What strength to mix for mignonette alpine strawberry

Follow the crop-feed label rate for mignonette alpine strawberry — these are calibrated for hungry vegetables. Consistency through fruiting matters more than strength; erratic feeding causes problems like blossom-end rot.

Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water mignonette alpine strawberry first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the mignonette alpine strawberry watering schedule.

Signs you are over-feeding mignonette alpine strawberry

Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for mignonette alpine strawberry:

Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen).
Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease.
Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers.

Signs you are under-feeding mignonette alpine strawberry

Pale, yellowing lower leaves and stunted growth.
Small fruit, poor set, and a quickly exhausted plant.
Blossom-end rot and weak cropping from erratic or insufficient feeding.

If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full mignonette alpine strawberry care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.

Flushing and leaching the salts

In containers, fertiliser salts build up fast — water mignonette alpine strawberry thoroughly so excess drains from the base each time, and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent a damaging salt build-up.

Organic vs synthetic feeds for mignonette alpine strawberry

Organic options

Garden compost or well-rotted manure dug in before planting, plus a liquid comfrey or seaweed feed once fruiting starts. UK: comfrey feed or organic Tomorite; US: Espoma Tomato-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Builds soil and feeds in one.

Synthetic / liquid feeds

A balanced feed at planting then a high-potash tomato feed in fruiting — UK: Growmore at planting then Tomorite (Levington) or Phostrogen; US: a balanced 10-10-10 then Miracle-Gro Tomato or a bloom booster.

Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.

Fertilising mignonette alpine strawberry — frequently asked questions

What fertiliser does mignonette alpine strawberry need?

Balanced (even N-P-K) at planting for roots and frame, then switch to a high-potassium ("high-potash") tomato-style feed once the first flowers open — potassium is what sizes and ripens fruit, not nitrogen. Mignonette Alpine Strawberry feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.

How often should I feed mignonette alpine strawberry?

Work a balanced fertiliser into the soil at planting. From first flower bud formation, switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) liquid fertiliser every 10–14 days until late summer to support fruiting. Work a balanced fertiliser into the soil at planting. From first flower bud formation, switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) liquid fertiliser every 10–14 days until late summer to support fruiting. So: a balanced feed or compost at planting, then a high-potash liquid every 1-2 weeks from first flower through harvest across the main season (spring through early autumn).

What strength of feed for mignonette alpine strawberry?

What does over-feeding mignonette alpine strawberry look like?

Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen). Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease. Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers. Staying on a high-nitrogen feed once mignonette alpine strawberry starts flowering is the classic error — you get a huge leafy plant and a disappointing crop. Switch to high-potash the moment flowers appear.

Should I flush the soil of mignonette alpine strawberry?