Growing strawberries in pots *The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants m spring:5 plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot. *Plant them immediately in soil-based compost  and they will produce a modest crop in their first year.The second year should see a bumper crop,followed by a slightly lower yield the third summer .Then start again with fresh stock . *Careful watering and feeding are essential If you are to harvest a good crop,you must never let the compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening;if you do.most of your crop will drop offe bush almost immediately. *Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks,until they reach the point of drying out be careful not to overwater them during the winter months. Pruning apple trees *A one-year-old tree is known as a "maiden".It has a single stem when purchased.Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem..This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer. *In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud.In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year's growth.Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud. *By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape.From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter.Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulation A good crop of strawberries mainly depends on  _
the size of a pot the season of harvesting the number of plants in a pot careful watering and feeding