If you are a berry lover, you can’t possibly have a garden without dedicating a space to grow delicious homegrown strawberries. Some people even go as far as saying they are the best of all the berries. What is unique about the strawberry (actually a member of the rose family) is that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. Strawberries are an excellent crop for home gardeners. Like most fruits and vegetables, they taste much better if homegrown and picked when just ripe.
You can plant strawberries three ways: in the ground, in strawberry pots, or in hanging baskets. Plant certain varieties now and you can be enjoying your fresh strawberries into autumn.
Strawberry Types:
- June-bearing strawberries produce a large, concentrated crop in late spring. You’ll get more berries per season from June-bearing strawberries, but the entire crop will ripen over a short period.
- Ever-bearing strawberries produce one crop in spring and another in fall.
- Day-neutral plants are capable of producing fruit throughout most of the growing season.
We recommend planting more than one type, so you’ll get a better spread in your harvest.
Growing Strawberries:
Strawberries need full sun to produce the best crop - give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sunlight will give you more, and better quality, berries.
Strawberries do best in a sandy loam with high humus content. They don’t like either drought or wet feet (they will suffer root-rot in poorly-draining soil).
Water when the top inch of soil dries out - this may be daily in hot weather.
Planting Depth:
Try to plant strawberries on a cloudy day or during the late afternoon. Set the strawberry plant in the soil so that the soil is just covering the tops of the roots. Do not cover the crown. After a month or so, the plants will begin producing runners and new plants. Feed monthly with a good organic liquid fertilizer.
In a Strawberry Pot or Basket:
We recommend using the larger pots and baskets, as the smaller ones dry out too quickly. Use an organic potting mix that provides nutrients, or fortify the potting mix with slow-release fertilizer.
In the Ground:
Strawberries don’t like either drought or wet feet. We recommend amending with if your site doesn’t drain well (or drains too quickly).
Beds should be placed beyond the root zone of large trees so the tree won’t compete with the strawberries for nutrients and water. Choose a location that will be easy to water during dry spells.
The site selected should be free from weeds, grubs and soil-borne diseases. Strawberries are susceptible to verticillium wilt, and should not be planted where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes have grown in the past three years, since these vegetables can carry the disease. If you don’t have a ‘clean’ area to plant them, we recommend using strawberry pots or baskets.
Plant strawberries in the spring, as soon as the ground is workable. Don’t work the soil if it’s soggy. Wait a few days until it dries.