Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Mara des Bois Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa 'Mara des Bois')— schedule & NPK
Also called Mara des Bois strawberry, ever-bearing strawberry.
More about mara des bois strawberry
About Mara des Bois Strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa 'Mara des Bois' · also called Mara des Bois strawberry, ever-bearing strawberry · edible
'Mara des Bois' is a French ever-bearing (day-neutral) strawberry prized for an intense, perfumed wild-strawberry flavour. It fruits from early summer to first frost in repeated flushes, thriving in full sun and rich, free-draining soil. Compact and runner-producing, it suits beds, raised borders, and large containers, rewarding consistent watering and regular potash feeding.
Growth habit: Low, clump-forming herbaceous perennial that spreads by runners (stolons). As a day-neutral type it crops in flushes across the whole season rather than one main flush, so deadheading and runner removal channel energy into fruit.
What fertiliser mara des bois strawberry actually wants — and why
Mara des Bois 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.
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.
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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois strawberry:
Apply a balanced general fertiliser at the start of growth in spring, then switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) feed every 10-14 days once flowering begins to sustain repeat cropping. Top-dress containers with fresh compost each spring. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives leaf at the expense of fruit. 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois strawberry
Follow the crop-feed label rate for mara des bois 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 mara des bois strawberry first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the mara des bois strawberry watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding mara des bois strawberry
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois strawberry — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does mara des bois 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. Mara des Bois 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 mara des bois strawberry?
Apply a balanced general fertiliser at the start of growth in spring, then switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) feed every 10-14 days once flowering begins to sustain repeat cropping. Top-dress containers with fresh compost each spring. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives leaf at the expense of fruit. Apply a balanced general fertiliser at the start of growth in spring, then switch to a high-potassium (tomato-type) feed every 10-14 days once flowering begins to sustain repeat cropping. Top-dress containers with fresh compost each spring. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives leaf at the expense of fruit. 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 mara des bois strawberry?
Follow the crop-feed label rate for mara des bois strawberry — these are calibrated for hungry vegetables. Consistency through fruiting matters more than strength; erratic feeding causes problems like blossom-end rot.
What does over-feeding mara des bois 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 mara des bois 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 mara des bois strawberry?
In containers, fertiliser salts build up fast — water mara des bois 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.
Keep reading
- Mara des Bois Strawberry care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water mara des bois strawberry — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise tomato
- How to fertilise pepper
- How to fertilise cucumber
- All 5561 fertilising guides in the Growli library