Nothing says “Summer” like juicy delicious strawberries, warm from the sun, oozing with flavor. Around here, the very sight of the rich, red berries is enough to spark an argument over who gets to eat it between the girls. Strawberries are just beautiful all the way around – beautiful plants, whimsical little blooms and the fruit…oh, the fruit!
Growing your own really is the ONLY way to get that sun-drenched flavor that is so lacking in what we find in the grocery stores. Truly ripe and juicy strawberries are just too fleeting and perishable to be found in any grocery store. Commercial strawberries are grown for firmness, size and shelf life…period. Flavor is secondary. Besides that, like tomatoes, commercial strawberries are plucked before they turn red. It stops the development of flavor in its tracks, but not the lovely color.
Strawberries are really easy to grow; truly one of the easiest and most rewarding gardening effort you can take on. They don’t need a lot of space and they produce lots of berries fairly quickly. Right now is the ideal time to make plans to grow your own, so here’s some information you might want to consider to help you succeed:
Perennial strawberries come in three types: June-bearers (or short-days), day-neutrals and ever-bearers. June-bearers are available as early, mid- and late-season varieties, are the most widely grown by home gardeners, according to Barbara L. Bowling, author of The Berry Grower’s Companion (a wonderful book, by the way). Day-neutrals, gaining in popularity, bear a modest crop along with the June-bearers and continue to produce fruits into the fall. “They produce flower buds regardless of day length, thus producing fruit throughout the summer and a sizeable fall crop that is a great bonus for backyard growers,” Bowling says. Day-neutrals, however, don’t like really hot summers. Ever-bearers, which are sometimes confused with day-neutrals, bear from early summer into the fall, but are less productive and have lower-quality berries than the day-neutrals. Either way, the ongoing harvests appeal to many gardeners.
You can harvest berries from day-neutrals and ever-bearers the first year. It’s better to wait with June-bearers until the second year. In many zones, growing a combination of these types, you should be able to harvest your own tasty strawberries from late May through October every year.
Go for the berry varieties that are tried and true local favorites. Check with the Master Gardeners or the local extension. There are a few varieties that are good tasting and disease resistant no matter where you are: June-bearers Earliglow and Jewel are great. Seascape and Tribute are day-neutrals that produce large fruit on strong plants.
Strawberries grow in a wide range of locations. They do, however, like full sun and slightly acidic soil. They are hungry plants and require lots of nutrients from soil high in organic matter. Choose a site with good air circulation and drainage. Avoid areas where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers or raspberries have been grown in the last five years as these plants can be hosts for verticullium wilt, a threat to strawberries.
Prior to planting, remove all perennial weeds and till in a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost. Plant your strawberries in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. When you plant keep in mind that the holes should be wide enough to accommodate the roots, fan out the roots as you plant and be sure the crown of the plant is slightly above soil level.
June-bearers send off more runners than either day-neutrals or ever-bearers and should be spaced about 18 inches apart with about 3 feet between rows. This spacing allows the runners to root and form what is known as a “matted row.” Day-neutrals and ever-bearing types should be spaced about 9 inches apart with 24 inches between the rows. These two types also have a higher requirement for nitrogen, so fertilize them with a good organic fertilizer once a month or so, June through September.
Once you’ve got your strawberries in the ground and fertilized, follow up with a deep mulch of straw, grass clippings or pine needles between plants. Mulching inhibits weeds, conserves moisture and helps keep the fruits clean and roots cool. Water your new plants thoroughly and try to keep the soil evenly moist, as consistent moisture is essential for strawberries shallow root system.
During the first year, no matter what kind of strawberries you are growing, your goal should be to get your plants well established. One way to do this is to pinch all the flowers for the first four to six weeks. By doing this, you are helping the plants to focus energy into developing healthy leaves, strong root systems and runners.
The major pests affecting strawberries – besides your children or grandchildren decimating your crop in one fell swoop – are birds (cover your rows with bird netting) and slugs or snails. Diatomaceous earth works well on slugs, snails and earwigs. You can put out beer traps for the slugs and snails or you can release decollate snails (Rumina decollata), a proven slug and snail predator sold in garden centers, nurseries and through mail order.
If you want your plants to succeed for years to come, you should renovate your beds after each harvest period. As a bed grows older, the plants become too crowded, berries become smaller and yields decline. To renovate, narrow the rows to 6 to 12 inches and then thin the remaining plants to about 4 or 5 inches apart, removing the older, smaller and spindly plants whenever possible. Some people mow their rows, but I use hedge trimmers to remove the old leaves and avoid hitting the crowns. June-bearers and day-neutrals, managed properly, should produce good crops of large berries for at least five years. Day-neutrals will need to be replaced about every third year.
After renovation, give all your strawberry beds – no matter what type – a good weeding and top-dress them with compost or feed with organic fertilizer. Replenish the mulch between the plants and be sure to have covering available in the late fall. 3 to 4 inches of loose straw should be just the ticket, but be sure to remove the straw in the early spring.
There’s one more good reason to grow your own strawberries – and that’s THE DIRTY DOZEN. Strawberries are one of those fruits that are generally packed with high levels of pesticide residue, even after you wash them. Homegrown strawberries are ALWAYS fresh, firm and delicious. Since they’re so easy to grow, the only problem you’re ever likely to have is not to growing enough.
Growing your own really is the ONLY way to get that sun-drenched flavor that is so lacking in what we find in the grocery stores. Truly ripe and juicy strawberries are just too fleeting and perishable to be found in any grocery store. Commercial strawberries are grown for firmness, size and shelf life…period. Flavor is secondary. Besides that, like tomatoes, commercial strawberries are plucked before they turn red. It stops the development of flavor in its tracks, but not the lovely color.
Strawberries are really easy to grow; truly one of the easiest and most rewarding gardening effort you can take on. They don’t need a lot of space and they produce lots of berries fairly quickly. Right now is the ideal time to make plans to grow your own, so here’s some information you might want to consider to help you succeed:
Perennial strawberries come in three types: June-bearers (or short-days), day-neutrals and ever-bearers. June-bearers are available as early, mid- and late-season varieties, are the most widely grown by home gardeners, according to Barbara L. Bowling, author of The Berry Grower’s Companion (a wonderful book, by the way). Day-neutrals, gaining in popularity, bear a modest crop along with the June-bearers and continue to produce fruits into the fall. “They produce flower buds regardless of day length, thus producing fruit throughout the summer and a sizeable fall crop that is a great bonus for backyard growers,” Bowling says. Day-neutrals, however, don’t like really hot summers. Ever-bearers, which are sometimes confused with day-neutrals, bear from early summer into the fall, but are less productive and have lower-quality berries than the day-neutrals. Either way, the ongoing harvests appeal to many gardeners.
You can harvest berries from day-neutrals and ever-bearers the first year. It’s better to wait with June-bearers until the second year. In many zones, growing a combination of these types, you should be able to harvest your own tasty strawberries from late May through October every year.
Go for the berry varieties that are tried and true local favorites. Check with the Master Gardeners or the local extension. There are a few varieties that are good tasting and disease resistant no matter where you are: June-bearers Earliglow and Jewel are great. Seascape and Tribute are day-neutrals that produce large fruit on strong plants.
Strawberries grow in a wide range of locations. They do, however, like full sun and slightly acidic soil. They are hungry plants and require lots of nutrients from soil high in organic matter. Choose a site with good air circulation and drainage. Avoid areas where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers or raspberries have been grown in the last five years as these plants can be hosts for verticullium wilt, a threat to strawberries.
Prior to planting, remove all perennial weeds and till in a 1 to 2 inch layer of compost. Plant your strawberries in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. When you plant keep in mind that the holes should be wide enough to accommodate the roots, fan out the roots as you plant and be sure the crown of the plant is slightly above soil level.
June-bearers send off more runners than either day-neutrals or ever-bearers and should be spaced about 18 inches apart with about 3 feet between rows. This spacing allows the runners to root and form what is known as a “matted row.” Day-neutrals and ever-bearing types should be spaced about 9 inches apart with 24 inches between the rows. These two types also have a higher requirement for nitrogen, so fertilize them with a good organic fertilizer once a month or so, June through September.
Once you’ve got your strawberries in the ground and fertilized, follow up with a deep mulch of straw, grass clippings or pine needles between plants. Mulching inhibits weeds, conserves moisture and helps keep the fruits clean and roots cool. Water your new plants thoroughly and try to keep the soil evenly moist, as consistent moisture is essential for strawberries shallow root system.
During the first year, no matter what kind of strawberries you are growing, your goal should be to get your plants well established. One way to do this is to pinch all the flowers for the first four to six weeks. By doing this, you are helping the plants to focus energy into developing healthy leaves, strong root systems and runners.
The major pests affecting strawberries – besides your children or grandchildren decimating your crop in one fell swoop – are birds (cover your rows with bird netting) and slugs or snails. Diatomaceous earth works well on slugs, snails and earwigs. You can put out beer traps for the slugs and snails or you can release decollate snails (Rumina decollata), a proven slug and snail predator sold in garden centers, nurseries and through mail order.
If you want your plants to succeed for years to come, you should renovate your beds after each harvest period. As a bed grows older, the plants become too crowded, berries become smaller and yields decline. To renovate, narrow the rows to 6 to 12 inches and then thin the remaining plants to about 4 or 5 inches apart, removing the older, smaller and spindly plants whenever possible. Some people mow their rows, but I use hedge trimmers to remove the old leaves and avoid hitting the crowns. June-bearers and day-neutrals, managed properly, should produce good crops of large berries for at least five years. Day-neutrals will need to be replaced about every third year.
After renovation, give all your strawberry beds – no matter what type – a good weeding and top-dress them with compost or feed with organic fertilizer. Replenish the mulch between the plants and be sure to have covering available in the late fall. 3 to 4 inches of loose straw should be just the ticket, but be sure to remove the straw in the early spring.
There’s one more good reason to grow your own strawberries – and that’s THE DIRTY DOZEN. Strawberries are one of those fruits that are generally packed with high levels of pesticide residue, even after you wash them. Homegrown strawberries are ALWAYS fresh, firm and delicious. Since they’re so easy to grow, the only problem you’re ever likely to have is not to growing enough.
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