If you’d like to get your kiddos interested in gardening, growing strawberries is just the plant to do it! They bear juicy, red berries that everyone loves and are pretty easy to grow. If you don’t have space for a garden, no worries–strawberries can be planted on a balcony, in flower beds, and even hanging baskets. These plants generally produce fruit for two or three years so you can enjoy them again and again. Here’s how to grow them…
When To Plant:
Strawberries should be planted in early Spring soon after all danger of frost has passed and the soil can be worked. Some warmer climates can also plant them in the Fall so you’ll have an abundance of berries to enjoy in the Spring. Choose a day to plant that’s cool and cloudy or later in the afternoon (to help protect the new plants from the heat/sun on the first day) and when the soil is dry.
Where To Plant:
Strawberries love lots of sun so to help them thrive plant them in a spot where they will get at least 6 hours of sunlight. They can be planted in a vegetable garden, flower beds, pots & containers and even hanging baskets and garden bags. If planting them in containers, give them soil at least 12″ deep so they have room to grow.
Choose a location that’s sheltered a bit from the wind and away from where peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are growing since they could harbor verticillium wilt, this is a disease that affects strawberries.
How To Plant:
You’ll notice strawberry plants will have some long roots going and these can make things clumsy when trying to plant. Trim the roots back to about 4″ for easier handling when planting. Plant so the roots are fanned out a bit (horizontally) rather than trying to plant them deep vertically. How deep to plant them? You want the roots completely covered in soil but the crown rests right above soil level (you’ll see the crown right above the roots). Before planting them, dig the soil up really well so it’s nice and loose and mix in some compost. Pinch off any blossoms and dead leaves before planting. Water each plant well after planting.
Use a matted-row system, set plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row (or raised bed), with 3 to 4 feet between rows. Allow the runners that form from these “mother” plants to develop and root–they’ll form a matted row 18 inches wide. Keep the remaining 1.5 to 2.5 feet between rows clear by sweeping early formed runners into the row or by cutting off late-formed runners that grow into the aisle or off the edge of the raised bed.
Watering Conditions:
Strawberries need lots of water to thrive (at least an inch a week) but make sure the soil is well draining and don’t over water otherwise you’ll find rot setting in. Water daily during hot weather. To help keep the soil fairly moist, cool and weed-free, spread a layer of straw or mulch a couple inches thick around the pl
Growing Season:
Help the plants thrive by keeping the strawberry patch free of weeds, strawberries have shallow root systems and the weeds can seriously interfere with the plant’s growth. Keep the soil moist, well draining and cool if possible (cover with a layer of mulch). A nice, neat strawberry patch that is well maintained gives the best results.
Harvesting Strawberries:Plants will start producing berries in June but you can find varieties that will produce berries into Fall. It’s important to pick the berries as they ripen to prevent them from rotting on the plant. If you’ve missed a few and do find some that are overripe and rotting, still pick them off the plant to avoid attracting pests and disease. Once the berries start ripening, check plants every other day to pick the ripe ones (some believe you’ll get sweeter berries by letting the ripe ones stay on the plant at least another day before picking). Remove strawberries from the plant by pinching them off at the stem right above the berry (keep about 1/2″ of the stem attached to the berry).
June Bearing: These plants produce strawberries once a year (June). June Bearing plants are planted this year to enjoy a berry harvest next year. To help your plants get established, pinch off all blossoms the first year of planting. June bearing plants typically produce the largest strawberries. Matted Row systems work best for this variety.
Ever Bearing:
This plant produces berries twice a year (Spring & Fall). To help the plant get established the first year you plant them, pinch off the first set of blossoms up until July then allow the blossoms to grow so you can enjoy a Fall harvest. Next year you can enjoy the harvest in both Spring & Fall (no need to pinch off any blossoms). Ever bearing plants typically produce smaller berries than the June bearing plants. The Hill System works best for this variety.
Day Neutral:
These will produce berries throughout the summer. In the first season of planting, pinch off the first set of blossoms to help the plant get established then allow the blossoms to grow. Day neutral plants typically produce smaller (and sweeter) berries than the June bearing plants. The Hill System works best for this variety.
Tips
■The small white flowers on strawberry plants are edible, just like the berries!
■Once you’ve picked ripe strawberries, don’t wash them until just before eating. This will help keep them firm and slow down softening while being stored.
■Strawberries can be used to make so many delicious things! Some ideas: Try making a fresh strawberry pie, homemade strawberry jam, freeze the berries to enjoy later in the year or make a refreshing fruit platter.
■Some find it worthwhile to cover plants with a light netting to help protect the fruit from birds. If you have a lot of birds in your area, give this trick a try.
■Strawberries will not ripen once they’re picked so make sure to pick them only when they’re ready.
■Once picked keep the strawberries refrigerated until they can be eaten, this will help extend their shelf life.
■Some say that strawberries picked in the mornings have a longer shelf life than those picked later in the day.
■You can hull strawberries quickly by washing strawberries & then taking a wide plastic straw–insert it at the bottom of a strawberry–then push the stem out (Source: 50 Quick Tips For The Kitchen).
■Once all your strawberries have been picked, save the cuttings (leaves, tops) to make a strawberry skin treatment for clearer skin (see Strawberry Leaf Infusion Recipe), only try this if the plants are pesticide free.
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