Fresh strawberries are a delectable
summer treat whether eaten right out of the garden, in homemade
ice cream, old-fashioned strawberry shortcake, jelly, jam, or other
desserts. Berries from the grocery store produce department are
no match for growing your own delicious juicy fruits in your own
garden. Strawberries are easy to grow and with the right conditions
the same plants can produce fruit for up to five years before they
need to be replaced.
There are three main types of strawberries
plants and many varieties of each type. Which you choose depends
on whether you want to eat fresh berries all summer or have a large
crop within a short period of time for freezing or canning.
June bearing strawberry varieties
will produce one large single crop in the late spring over a period
of two to three weeks. The largest berries will be from June-bearing
plants. These varieties make many runners that create "daughter"
plants where they touch the soil.
Plant individual berry plants in an
alternating pattern 18 inches apart with four and a half feet between
the rows. This gives the runners room to spread as they wish, but
if you give them half a chance they will take over the yard too!
Train the runners toward empty spots between the plants and secure
the ends to the soil with a small rock so they will root and make
daughter plants. Before long, the plants will form a lovely green
mat.
In a spaced row system, plants should
be placed 18" apart in rows that are three to four feet apart.
Spaced rows produce a higher yield and larger berries with fewer
disease problems. Guide the daughter plants to spaces between the
mother plants so they are about six inches apart and make rows about
two feet wide. Cut off any extra runners.
Pinch off any blossoms that appear
the first year that you plant June-bearers. This will encourage
the plants to grow vigorously and produce more runners. Your payoff
comes the next summer when they will be bursting with wonderful
strawberries!
Everbearing varieties will produce
two or three harvests of fruit throughout the growing season and
will produce a full crop the first season. They do not make many
runners. Day neutral strawberries will produce throughout the growing
season and also offer few runners. Both varieties are good for gardens
with limited space or container gardening and produce small flavorful
berries. Everbearing and day neutral berries are best planted in
groups of two or three plants on hills that are eight inches high
and two feet wide. Stagger the hills twelve inches apart. If space
is tight, consider planting them in strawberry pots (containers
with pockets around the sides), hanging baskets or containers. Remove
any runners to allow more crowns and flower stalks to develop and
pinch off any blossoms that appear until the first of July. Pinching
off some of the blossoms after they begin to form tiny berries will
allow the remaining berries to grow larger.
Whichever variety of strawberry you
choose, the garden preparation, fertilization, sunlight and watering
requirements are the same.
Buy strawberry plants that are not
potted to save money and for ease of planting. Check online or mail
order catalogs to choose varieties. You may also be able to get
free starter plants from a friend or neighbor who has a patch. If
they grow June-bearing strawberries they should have plenty of daughter
plants to spare!
Strawberries require full sun, no
less than six hours a day, and well-drained, sandy soil. More sunlight
means more and better quality berries. They will not tolerate drought
or standing water. Plant them in the spring as soon as the soil
is dry enough to work.
Till and cultivate sod the year before
you plant strawberries to eliminate competition from grass. Work
in one or two inches of compost or well-rotted manure. Pick a spot
that is free from grubs, perennial weeds and disease. Avoid planting
strawberries where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants or peppers have
been planted within the last three years. These plants may have
infested the soil with verticillium rot which is especially hazardous
to strawberry plants. Place your strawberry patch beyond the root
zone of large trees so they won't compete for water and nutrients.
Plant on a cloudy day or in the late
afternoon so the sun doesn't stress the plants. Make a hole
large enough that you can spread the roots out. Make a hill in the
center of the hole so that the crown of the plant will be at soil
level. Spread the roots over the hill and bury them.
Strawberry plants require cool soil
to produce the best harvest. Mulch between the rows to keep the
soil cool, discourage weeds, and keep the fruit from laying on the
soil. Don't use black plastic as mulch because it will raise
the soil temperature. Give the garden and inch or two of water if
it hasn't rained much the previous week.
Once your garden has begun to set
fruit, you will need to put a mesh net over the crop to keep birds
from helping themselves to your tempting berries, and they always
go for the biggest, juiciest ones! As the berries grow, watch for
any showing signs of disease or rot and remove them from the garden.
Harvest your strawberries when they
turn bright red all over. If you're not sure if they're
ripe, taste one. It won't hurt to leave them on the plant an
extra day or two; they'll become more flavorful. Don't
pull them off the stem; strawberries bruise very easily and need
gentle handling. Break the stem off above the berry and place (don't
throw!) it into a bowl or basket. They like to hide under the leaves
so look carefully to be sure you get them all! Pick berries shortly
before you plan to use them and don't leave them at room temperature
for more than a few hours. If you can't use them right away
put the unwashed berries in a bowl loosely covered with plastic
wrap in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
After your crop is harvested renovate
your strawberry garden to prepare it for the next season. Carefully
mow the crowns down to two or three inches. Till or hoe between
the rows, mulch and all, and reduce the width of the rows to six
to 12 inches wide, thinning plants to six inches apart. Fertilize
the plants with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) at five pounds
per 100 feet of row.
In colder climates, before the temperature
drops to 20 degrees, cover the crowns of the plants with several
inches of straw or pine needles to protect the leaves from frost.
In the spring when the leaves begin to turn yellow gently rakes
off the mulch into the space between the rows and fertilize and
maintain the plants as in the previous season. A well-maintained
strawberry patch may last five years, but if after three or four
years the plants or berries begin to diminish in quality or quantity
start a new strawberry patch in a new location.- J.
E. Davidson
Well drained, sandy loam with a pH from 5.8 to 6.2 is ideal
Plant in the spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to be worked, or in late fall
Be sure you have certified disease-free plants
Select plants with large crowns with healthy, light-colored roots
Amend soil with 1-2 inches of organic matter like compost or well- rotted manure
Keep weeds from competing with your strawberry plants
Make a hole large enough to spread the roots. Hill the center of the hole and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots downward on the hill. Bury the plant so that the soil only goes halfway up the crown.