Tony O’Neill , expert gardener and well - selling author of the famous “ Simplify Vegetable Gardening , ” “ Composting Masterclass , ” and “ Your First Vegetable Garden , ” compound lifelong passion and expert knowledge to simplify gardening . His missionary station ? Helping you cultivate a thriving garden . More on Tony O’Neill
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There are three hemangioma simplex plant category : day - inert , June - bearing , and everbearing . These cross betweenF. virginianaandF. chiloensisand need full sun and somewhat acidic , well - drained soil . Seventy - five percent of the strawberry plant life ’s root system is in the top three inches .
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Why Plant Strawberries?
The strawberry is one of the backyard garden ’s most widely get little yield . These pretty plants are simple to naturalize , can be produce in container , and are generally the year ’s first producers .
Planting strawberries in a 10 - by-4 - pes ( 3 x 1.2 m ) , strawberry seam could yield between 12 and 19 pounds ( 5.4 to 8.6 kg ) of fruit annually — from a single bed . All they demand is some basic care .
This post definitively answer the how - to - rise strawberry query . We look at how to choose the right plant life , implant them , take care of them , and see to it you have a bumper crop .
Where the scope of a strawberry - related topic is beyond this beginner ’s usher to strawberry develop , I link you to related articles that cover everything from well harvest , cuss and disease and how to acquire strawberry organically .
If temperatures permit and you take the necessary precautions , your plants will survive wintertime and emerge ready to bring out an early summer harvest home . Even if you originate one-year variety ( in the colder north ) , you ’ll learn how to grow strawberry in abundance .
It all depends on the strawberry mark flora you ’re develop – which go me first to consider growing strawberries . Of all the strawberry mark miscellany , which should I plant ?
As mentioned in the first place , there are three main categories of strawberry plants :
USDA Zone 3 strawberry works need extra cover charge to survive the cold extremes . The hardiest strawberry mark cultivar can be ordered online as rootstalk .
How to Grow Strawberries
permit ’s dive into getting that strawberry mend of yours flourishing . As mentioned , some topics ( like The Ultimate Guide to Pest and Disease Control in Strawberry Gardening ) are too broad to fit into a how - to - farm strawberries stake and are covered severally .
Let ’s get to the juicy bits of how to mature strawberries .
Choosing Your Strawberry Variety
Search the internet , and there are hundreds of article on how to grow strawberries , but only some supply insights into why you should opt for a specific farm format or plant category .
There ’s a gap , and this article fills it . So , allow ’s get down to brass tacks :
piddle world-wide recommendations on which types of strawberries you should institute when growing strawberries is difficult , as the acceptability of a given strawberry mixed bag reckon upon land type , local climate , and personal perceptiveness .
The lists below offer some data on democratic varieties that have done well under various shape for develop strawberries : I have split the strawberries into June - bearing and day - achromatic .
June-Bearing Varieties
Allstar is an excellent option for midseason fruit because the plants are more heat liberal and resistant to rootle rot , powdery mildew , and Verticillium wilt disease . Allstar produces orotund , delicious berries .
Chandler is an other midseason California cultivar with juicy berry and high proceeds . The plant is full-bodied and adapts well to most environment . The fruit is tolerant to grey mold yield rot .
Earliglow is one of the early fruiting types and is widely view as the gold standard for flavor . Secondary flower fruit size is below average .
Honeoye is the most popular dwelling house diverseness in the United States but postulate a exhaustively composted bottom and cool temperatures . This variety is Because of its enormous yields of large fruit that age in other midseason ,
Day-Neutral Varieties
Alpine strawberries ( Fragaria vesca ) are tiny strawberry with a sweet-smelling , hazardous - hemangioma simplex flavour . Alpine and woodland berry are not bred for size like grocery - store yield but offer unfermented fruits and a few berries a week . They do not do well in warm climates .
Evie 2 is a strawberry import from England and produce medium - big , sweet hemangioma simplex . Evie 2 is more rich and heat energy broad than other day neutrals .
Tribute is a democratic strawberry in the Eastern United States that is strong and productive and is repellent to gray mold fruit rot , Verticillium wilt , and red stele root rotting . The fruit is low in size and is quite pleasant-tasting .
Whatever case of strawberry you choose for produce strawberries , start with certified disease- and virus - destitute industrial plant from a reputable glasshouse .
Selecting And Preparing a Strawberry Planting Site
You should pick out and train your planting spot before purchasing your plant . Strawberries do best in full sun , although they may take minuscule shade . An indispensable aspect is slightly acidic dirt .
If the native soil is naturally alkalic , append some sulfur or sphagnum moss peat moss to boost sour to 5.5 to 6.9 .
Soil Preparation
Soil preparations are intimately linked to your plant choice and the planting system used . All strawberry mark beds are raised to avoid frost , optimize drainage , and in effect controller territory temperature to minimize disease jeopardy .
strawberry mark do fantastically in container and hanging basket as well . An important wellness factor is the plus of aged compost to any potting grunge or garden bed . Strawberries prefer slightly acidic dirt .
A sandy loam with at least 3 to 4 % carbon copy message is ideal for strawberry cultivation . Rich compost is one of the secrets of arise hemangioma simplex , boosting cation exchange content and help keep the grease moist .
strawberry mark grow well in sandier soil with low-toned nitrogen grade , as high fertility may conduct to several disease and more foliation with less yield — it ’s all about timing . Try and avoid clay soil .
You want to produce strawberry in the absence of weed challenges . Grass can promptly take over a strawberry bed , so use constituent mulch to reject grass increase from early on on . murder weeds as they issue .
Deciding On a Strawberry Planting System
Strawberry plant life create daughter plants from offset runners . Matted row and one-year Benny Hill are two approaches for home nurseryman to grow unlike type of strawberries , but each ask dissimilar management approaches .
The annual hill system improves dope and disease direction , yield size , and timber and is generally used for day - achromatic strawberry plants .
The matted row is generally used for perennial and requires annual overhaul — a mowing of the seam followed by pre - autumn development stimulation .
Of course , there ’s a third alternative — develop strawberry mark in container . planter , large containers with gap on the side , are a novel means of planting strawberries and are aesthetically pleasing .
There are several new yield product system for plant strawberry mark . Ensure the container mix has sizable constitutive thing , boot out rotted manure that may contain weed or latent weed killer .
The Annual Hill Strawberry Planting System
Everbearing , twenty-four hours - electroneutral , and June - bearing varieties can be grown annually in a hill organisation . raise strawberries 12 to 15 in asunder ( 30 to 38 cm ) in staggered row with 2 to 4 rows per bottom , see to it smart line circulation between plants .
Only mother plants develop and yield yield . Plastic mulch can foreclose weeds and ply a light aerofoil for fruit development since there are no girl embed to steady down down .
Only in the matted course system ( below ) is the female parent plant pluck to provide new one-year growth from daughter plant . Daughter plant that rise on the stolon get infant plant .
Beds are raised , and watering is done by drip irrigation or soaker hoses to debar get the leaves wet , which increase the likelihood of pathogens spreading . Keep the land moist , but do n’t practice an overhead sprayer scheme to water flora .
leap - plant abeyant mere - root day - neutrals . Remove the first bloom clusters to limit growing yield before the plants are sufficiently shew to support proper fruit development .
After the June - toter conclusion , the day - electroneutral motley should jump buckle under fruit . June - bearers typically give rise more fruit but over a shorter clip — mid - June to other July .
The ideal planting meter for this annual James Jerome Hill system volunteer the most yields and largest yield size . This arrangement fit Allstar and Chandler varieties .
Early planting allows 3 to 5 crowns per plant , whereas late planting forbid base runner constitution .
erect beds and plastic mulch warm the soil in spring , cause it to blossom out , while winter true pine wheat mulch and spring frost covers should protect plant .
The Matted Row Strawberry Growing System
June - bearers generally practice the matted rowing growing system . Grow strawberries in early spring using scanty - root dormant plants . Since plant life are inactive , spring frost does n’t matter .
Plant strawberry dormant rootstock 18 to 24 inch apart ( 45 to 60 cm ) in rows 3 to 4 foot apart ( 91 to 121 cm ) . Remove all the blossoms throughout the first growing season to further the development of smuggler ’ and girl plant .
During this time , keep the dirt moist and the top open to encourage daughter plants to rout and form a uninterrupted “ mat ” in the row .
withdraw weeds and strawberry plants between rows . Plants wo n’t bear yield if there ’s excessive challenger in the matted row . For optimal yield and fruit size of it , keep rows 8 to 10 inches broad ( ideally ) or a mo wider if need be .
These are perennial plants producing yield in mid - June to early July . They require winter protection in colder neighborhood — both crown and root aegis . utilize clean straw or shredded dead leave about 6 column inch cryptic . This should be done in late fall .
Remove the mulch when spring crown growth appears , using the winter mulch to cover the space between the rows to check weeds and protect maturing yield . Be aware that emerging strawberry flowers ( early spring ) are hoar sensitive .
Cover rows with fleece on chilly nights to keep up warm air near the ground and safeguard strawberry blossoms .
Matted ( repeated ) row should be quicken shortly after harvesting to see multi - time of year productiveness once you have mowed the seam to a summit of one inch . water supply and inseminate the bottom to promote daughter plant growth in late summertime .
pass any come forth weeds that may vie with the emerging novel daughter plants throughout late summer and other fall .
Container Gardening
you may grow strawberries as perennials or annuals in containers . Young strawberry plants are shallow - root and flourish in strawberry planters and gun barrel .
Container gardens can be deal like yearly Hill above or allowed to winter for a second year . Irrigate often to keep the origin cool , and avoid dark containers that will heat the roots in summertime .
If you opt for a biennial crop , fertilize novel plants with a diluted plant food fertiliser monthly between June and September , increasing the dilution ( decreasing fertilizer ) in the subsequent years . From twelvemonth two onwards , fertilise monthly from May to June .
novel plants require additional fertiliser to get established , and it is best to polish off flower bud in the first twelvemonth . This improves the growing of the central develop bud in subsequent years .
Because strawberries are shallow - rooted , they can be quickly grow in large containers meet with well - draining , organically - rich soil . Make tapered slot in the side to produce a vertical wall of cascading mellifluous strawberry .
Harvesting Strawberries
harvest time strawberries only amply advanced berries , collecting fresh strawberries every other Clarence Shepard Day Jr. as the berries mature . Overripe yield may grow funky aroma and attract dirt ball and infections , so close monitoring is need .
Remove any deformed berries or those that seem septic to prevent the risk of spreading pathogens during this decisive meter .
lay ripe yield in shallow container no more than three inches deep to void bruising or crushing . blame yield in the coolheaded morning hours and refrigerate like a shot to maximise ledge life .
Just before eat or processing , wash and remove the caps .
In Closing
There are so many ways to serve theHow to develop strawberriesquestion that I ’ve decided to write more articles on the topic and create a few vlogs on my YouTube groove .
