Strawberries can be quite demanding in the spring, as they need more nitrogen than most other garden plants, but there is an easy way to ensure they thrive. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient as it encourages foliage growth, which is important in April when strawberries are just growing their stems.

If strawberries lack nitrogen, they will grow weak, feeble stems that are not strong enough to produce bigger and juicier fruit. However, Sally Phillips, an expert and founder of Chimney Sheep, has shared a natural way to encourage bigger strawberries that is also incredibly cheap. 

She said: “A great way of giving your strawberry plant a boost is by adding nitrogen to the soil in the form of sheep’s wool or wool pellets.

“Nitrogen occurs naturally in sheep’s wool and will be released into the soil as the wool composts down, ensuring your strawberry plant grows big and strong!”

It may seem bizarre, but shredded sheep wool is rich in nitrogen that will break down slowly, so your strawberries will have a steady supply for the rest of spring.

Not only will nitrogen help strawberries grow thicker stems, but it will also produce bigger leaves, which means more energy for the plant and results in bigger fruit. 

Sheep wool also retains moisture, and having it around strawberries will keep the soil moist and slow down evaporation, keeping your crops hydrated during hot weather. 

It also contains lanolin, a natural oil, which is known to repel slugs and snails as these pests cannot crawl on the waxy substance since it dries out their bodies. 

How to use sheep wool 

Wool pellets can be found in most gardening centres and online stores, but local farmers will also sell excess wool at this time of year since it is the shearing season. 

To use sheep wool, shed the wool into smaller pieces to make it easier to break down and to prevent it from clumping. 

Then, you just need to scatter two to three inches of wool in a thin, even layer around the soil of your strawberries.

Do not use too much wool as it is very dense, and if you apply too much, you can block water or sunlight from reaching the soil. 

Work the wool a little into the topsoil to mix it in, give your strawberry plants a good watering, and your strawberry plants will burst with plump berries in summer.