If you plan to enter the world of growing fruit, strawberries are one of the easiest fruit to grow and great for beginners. Plus, homegrown strawberries are far more flavorful than what you’ll ever find in a grocery store. Why? The sugar in berries converts to starch soon after they’re picked. Learn more about growing strawberries in the home garden.
About Strawberries
The best thing about strawberries is that they’re relatively easy to grow and maintain as long as you keep them in a location that gets full sun.
Strawberry plants come in three types:
- June-bearing varieties bear fruit all at once, usually over a period of three weeks. Day-length sensitive, these varieties produce buds in the autumn, flowers, and fruits the following June, and runners during the long days of summer. Although called “June-bearing” or “June-bearers,” these strawberries bear earlier than June in warmer climates.
- Everbearing varieties produce a big crop in spring, produce lightly in the summer, and then bear another crop in late summer/fall. These varieties form buds during the long days of summer and the short days of autumn. The summer-formed buds flower and fruit in autumn, and the autumn-formed buds fruit the following spring.
- Day-Neutral varieties produce fruit continuously through the season, until the first frost: Insensitive to day length, these varieties produce buds, fruits, and runners continuously if temperature remains between 35° and 85°F (1° to 30°C). Production is less than that of June-bearers.
For the home garden, we recommend June-bearers. Although you will have to wait a year for fruit harvesting, it will be well worth it.
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I have just got a small plant
I have just got a small plant of strawberry. I have planted in a rectangular wooden box especially for my plant. It is growing quite well but I am confused whaat is the way forward
Do they have to sprawl? Or
Do they have to sprawl? Or can I make them grow up onto a post like a grape vine?
Strawberries don't climb and
Strawberries don't climb and their runners need to touch soil to produce new plants. There are some varieties that grow well in hanging baskets or pyramids.
Can I plant 2 different types
Can I plant 2 different types of strawberries in the same pyramid? If yes, what types. I live in Liverpool, NY 13090.
Please advise me
Thanks
Yes you can plant two
Yes you can plant two different varieties. We suggest that you plant one june-bearing variety and one ever-bearing. This way you'll be harvesting strawberries for a longer time.
Hi I live in St Louis MO, I
Hi I live in St Louis MO, I am planning to grow my strawberries in a 5 gallon bucket with an irrigation. I just bought the Loran strawberries today 03/22/14 when should I plant them? How long can they live in the carton I bought them in? I know they need 6 hours of sun but it is only 47 degree so can I put them in the window sill til it warms up to 68-77 degrees?
Loran strawberries are hardy
Loran strawberries are hardy and it's best to plant the strawberries in the container as soon as possible. The plants need to be well-established before the temperatures get too warm.
have a new raised bed filled
have a new raised bed filled with compost since last fall. Ready to plant strawberry plants and have been advised by a nursery store to put lime and a fertilizer 6-24-24 together & mix together, put in bed before planting. My zip is 42122. Is this what I should do?
If you have compost in your
If you have compost in your raised beds additional fertilizers are unnecessary.
Dear friends, I need an
Dear friends,
I need an advice. I planted strawberry plant last April and I pinched off all the flowers. They grew very well and there is lots of flowers now but it is failed to develop(grow) into strawberry. Early spring, I added compost into the soil. I applied miracle grow solution mix with water 2 weeks ago but I don't see it is improving.
Please give me an advice.
Regards,
Jeongsim,
Union City, CA
Not enough sun or too much or
Not enough sun or too much or too little water may be the problem. Depending on the variety of strawberries you have the flowers may not get pollinated. But most strawberries are self-pollinating so you don't need a second variety for pollination.
For more help contact your local cooperative extension.
http://ucanr.edu/
hi, i am from india i am
hi, i am from india i am working in private farm where the strwberriew (albioan) have been planted. it gave good size of fruits in winter (december to february) from march plants bearing flowers which is divided as branch and giving very small flowers, evntualy small sized fruits. i dont know what does it indicate? can you explain about branched small fruits and flowers ? if i do thining can i get big one ?
I am wanting to plant
I am wanting to plant strawberries. All I know about them are what I have read here. I am assuming strawberries return each year, but this says that new plants are recommended each year. How do you get rid of the old plants that come back in order to plant new?
Hi Andrew, We should clarify.
Hi Andrew, We should clarify. Strawberries are productive for 3 or 4 years, however, you do need to maintain the patch to keep it productive. Right after harvest, you want to mow the old foliage down, cutting off the leaves about 1 inch above the crowns. Compost the leaves. Fertilize the patch with one pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet. Narrow the rows to 6 to 12 inches wide with a hoe or spade. Remove all weeds. Thin the plants in the narrowed row to 4 to 6 inches between plants. Water with 1 inch of water per week to promote growth and to make new runners for next year's crop.
I was reading the almanac for
I was reading the almanac for when to plant in my area, and I didn't see when to start strawberries indoors nor out. I live in area code 44035.
Thanks!
Early spring is the best time
Early spring is the best time to plant strawberry plants as long as soil is not too wet.
I want to raise our
I want to raise our strawberry bed about 2 foot high & put borders around it. Our June bearers are pretty well established & should do really well this summer, but my question is can I just add the soil over the strawberries(about 2 ft of soil over them, or do I have to dig them up, put the soil down, after we get the borders built up around the bed & then replant them??? Or will putting all that soil over them, kill them??
Hi Sylvia, It's not wise to
Hi Sylvia,
It's not wise to cover the strawberries with 2 feet of soil. Dig them up and replant them after you have built your raised bed. Do this as soon as you can in the spring.
I'm considering planting my
I'm considering planting my strawberries with my grape vines. I saw a post on pintrest regarding sustainable gardens recommending this. What is your take. We are in new property so everything will be in its first year.
Sounds like a good idea.
Sounds like a good idea. Strawberries have shallow roots and grow well with other plants. You may get a bit less yeild due to some of the shade from the grapes when they grow bigger. The strawberries will also keep the weeds down around the grapes.
I just bought a strawberry
I just bought a strawberry plant in a pot.
there is no sunlight that i receive in any part of my house.
Is it possible for the plant to survive ???? If not then i would rather give it away to someone who has enough sunlight in their house
Give it away. Strawberries
Give it away. Strawberries need a full-sun location with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight.
Hello I am from India
Hello I am from India (northern plain) where usually temperature is hot. USDA Hardiness Region is between 10-11. So I want to know, are the strawberry plants feasible to grow here.
I also want to, if the plants can be grown here, then which variety of it should be grown.
1. Everbearer
2. Junebearer
3. Day Netural
During Winter season
During Winter season (December - January) temperature is usually between 39 - 77 degree fahrenheit.
I think you can buy warm
I think you can buy warm weather varieties like Camarosa. Those should work during your late fall-winter months - say from October - early Feb. Remember soil needs to be well drained so I would think a raised bed would be particularly good in India given the monsoon.
Thanks
Thanks
I live in Minnesota where it
I live in Minnesota where it is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. this spring I want to plant a "fruit fence" with strawberries blueberries and raspberries around the fence in my backyard will that work? will winter take its toll?
Sounds wonderful! Look for
Sounds wonderful! Look for hardy varieties that will tolerate your cold winters. There are many to choose from. Make sure the plants have plenty of room to grow into and also be aware of the different soil requirements. Blueberries for example need acid soil.
Hi, I live in Malta where the
Hi, I live in Malta where the weather is almost sunny all year round.
I have just started planting strawberries. The batch I bought, are already growing little flowers.
My dilemma is this ; should I cut off the flowers as normally suggested in favor of having a better harvest next year ?
or,leave the flowers to get the fruit sooner ?
I feel guilty to take flowers out.
Can you plsease advise ?
thankyou
Emanuel
Pinching off the blossoms
Pinching off the blossoms will promote root growth and healthier and stronger plants for next year. You can leave some flowers if you like but the plants may not grow as big.
Enjoy your strawberry garden!
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