HI Paul, welcome to the forums
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I will bow down to someone who knows better, but I wouldn't have though there would be any point in growing them under glass because they flower and set fruit depending on day length/available light so even if they were in the GH I don't think they would crop out of season.
You normally would buy them as rooted plants from a garden centre, but if you know anyone on your allotments (assuming that's where you plan to put them) who has any excess runners (little plantlets that branch off to become new plants) they might let you have them to plant.
Normally you would put them in in late autumn/winter and by spring they have established enough of a root system to get going for next season. Alternatively, you can put them in in spring, but in order to give the plants enough time to establish good roots you should take the flowers (and therefore the fruiting part) off until year 2 and you should aim to replace your plants, either by seed or by runners you have potted on yourself, every 3 years in a new part of your garden/allotment.
There are lots of varieties, so if you really really like strawbs you could try buying cultivars that will extend your cropping period (but not the plants) by planting type 1 that will fruit in, say May, type 2 that will fruit in June etc. I only bought one type but already I have had enough of them!
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Hope this helps
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