Strawberries have long been a traditional crop of the Cornish summer, growing sweet and juicy in the sunshine.
The fruit is picked by hand and must be handled carefully as it is easily damaged.

The strawberry crop needs warmth to ripen. Too much rain and the fruit will rot before it can ripen and be picked.

Nowadays much of the strawberry crop is grown in polytunnels which protects it from bad weather. The plastic cover keeps the plants warm so the fruit can be grown for more weeks of the year.
Growing the strawberry plants off the ground protects the fruit from damage by slugs and makes it easier to pick.