Ripe Strawberries
Growing strawberry plants is very easy. You can grow strawberries plants in a variety of ways. They are ideal for growing in pots, hanging planters, special strawberry pots or in a garden strawberry bed.
If you live in a colder climate then you should plant your strawberries in the spring when it is still cool. For those who live in warmer temperature zones, you can plant either in early spring or in the fall.
Before you start growing strawberry plants the first thing you want to think about is whether you would like one large crop in early summer or if you would prefer strawberries to ripen throughout the growing season. Were you thinking of growing strawberry plants to make jam or to freeze or did you just want ripe strawberries for eating?
There are three types of strawberries:
- June Bearing plants produce one large crop of strawberries in late spring/early summer. You get the most berries out of the season with these types of plants although they will all ripen within just a few weeks. These plants produce quite a few runners that will make for a larger strawberry bed the year after unless you keep them trimmed. If you are growing strawberry plants to make jam or freeze the strawberries then these would be the plants to grow.
- Everbearing strawberry plants produce usually two or three crops per season in late spring, summer and again in the fall. The berries are usually smaller but some prefer strawberries throughout the summer rather than one large crop. These plants do not send out many runners as a rule.
- Day Neutral plants are a little harder to find and are most like ever bearing. They will produce fruit throughout the growing season but they are usually a smaller berry. These plants also send out just a few runners.
Once you know which kind of strawberry plant you want, you can purchase them at your local nursery or garden center. Tip: If you prefer, you can also order them online. We recommend Gurney’s They have a superb reputation, will deliver your plants at the right time for planting in your area and they offer some great deals including saving $20 for every $40 worth of plants that you order!
SOIL: For a healthy garden, you want to make sure you start out with good soil. Strawberries prefer soil that drains well. To give your strawberries a really good start, you also may want to add a controlled-release fertilizer to the area before you plant. Strawberries are pretty easy keepers and are not too picky about the pH of your soil although they will do their absolute best with the pH of the soil between 5.3 and 6.5. You can purchase a test kit at most garden supply stores.
SUNLIGHT: Although strawberries can produce with as little as six hours of direct sunlight per day, they will give you the best crop with a full day of sun.
WATER: Strawberries will not tolerate standing in water or being left dry for too long. The roots need a steady supply of water. One good soak a week works well and watering in the morning will give the leaves a chance to dry out before night which helps prevent diseases.
MULCH: Mulching your strawberries is a good idea. It will keep the soil from drying out too quickly between watering as well as keep it cool for the best development of not only the fruit but also the roots and plant itself. It will also keep the fruit off the ground resulting in a cleaner berry.
FERTILIZING: If you applied a fertilizer to the soil before planting then you are good to go this spring. For June bearing plants, feed again shortly after harvesting the berries. For ever bearing and day neutral, you can feed after the second harvest but not too late in the season.
Growing strawberry plants is a fun, easy plant to grow for beginners and even for kids. If your kids are anything like mine, you may not even get to have one. My daughter would go out to play in the yard and the first place she always went was the strawberry patch. I think it was three years before I was able to taste one of the ripe strawberries, but that was okay because it was one of the main reasons I wanted to raise her on an acreage. I loved watching her park her little behind in the garden and eat all, and I do mean ALL, the fresh fruit and veggies right out of the garden. My gardens were all organic in case you were wondering.
Have any thoughts, strawberry tips or funny stories you would like to share? Please leave a comment.
For More Information:
Planting Strawberry Plants: Starting a Strawberry Bed
Grow Strawberries in Strawberry Pots
Coming Up:
Hanging Strawberry Baskets
Grow Strawberries in a Container
Growing Tips for Strawberry Plants
Strawberry Dessert Recipes
. . . . and much more!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Helo,
I have a quick question you might be able to answer for me. I have slugs eating my ripe berries, what can I do about them ??? Thanks in advance…
Hi Joe,
Slugs and tomato hornworms are two of the most annoying pests in the garden. Many nights, I have been out after dark with a flashlight looking for the little suckers. Growing up in Vancouver, our favorite pastime was to grab the salt shaker and go slug hunting . . . . but I digress.
There is a number of things you can do to control the slugs that are getting at your strawberries. Because I like to stay as organic as possible, I will give you the organic options first.
ORGANIC:
Slugs need moisture. They sleep during the day in a moist, dark area and come out at night to munch. If you have mulch in your garden, that can be one of the many places they are hiding out during the day. Also check around the area for any wood, rocks, pots, anywhere moist that they might hide and remove these. If you do not want to or cannot remove them, make sure to check under them every morning for any slugs that are hiding there or any eggs and get rid of them.
Speaking of eggs, you definitely want to go on the hunt and destroy any eggs you may find. They are little egg clusters that look kind of like tapioca.
You can also place a wooden board near your strawberries and check there every morning as well. Kind of like baiting them with a nice place to keep cool during the day!
You can do as I have done and head out after dark with a flashlight and salt shaker in hand
I have tried the beer method with quite a bit of success. Place a shallow container of beer where they can find it. They love it and will crawl in and drown.
The idea is to get rid of as many slugs as possible along with their moist hiding places which will hopefully deter them.
NON-ORGANIC:
If you are still having a problem a slug bait might be the way to go. Something like Sluggo or any commercial slug bait you can find at your local garden center or Home Depot.
Make sure you follow the instructions keeping in mind any pets or small children that may be around.
I found the site below that gives some more great tips on slug control. My favorite is the last one where you put a bounty on their head and let the kids go at it
It also has some tips on creating homemade slug traps to keep the bait contained.
The Garden Helper
Note: Please come back and let me know what you decided to do and how successful it was for you. Enjoy your strawberries!
Postcript: I did some research and stand corrected. Sluggo is sold as an organic slug bait. I found the following online store where you can buy it (if you live in one of the states that they ship it to). Although it is quite expensive, I have seen lots of good feedback on the product. It would depend on how widespread your slug problem is whether the cost would be worth it or not. This company also sells a slug trap with organic bait in it. I have no idea how well it works but might be a cheaper alternative if the beer method doesn’t work for you.
Sluggo
Slug Trap
Hi, gr8 post thanks for posting. Information is useful!
Hi Kelly,
Glad I could help. Have a great day!
Howmany strawberry plants can I grow in square meter
I have 2 patio blueberry plants and 1 patio strawberry plant. I have been bringing them in the house for winter. (Ohio). Is that what I have to do or would they come back themselves in the spring if I put the pots in the garage (not heated)?
Hi, Dear
I would plant strawberry in greenhouse, but I must control the temperature through in sim ple way such as gasoil , and this is expensive, please help me about rang of temperature in greenhouse during winter.
thank for all.
Shahram Baghban
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