Dont get your Strawberries in a Jam

S. Peck
Mar 28, 2016
2 min read

This year is one of the first years im going to push to have my own strawberry patch. Before I had tried to grow them in a topsy turvy type planter and all though the green vines took off we never had many berries. So this year I did my research on what Strawberries do and dont like and how to get your strawberries going for the best yield.

Strawberries are easy to grow either in a container garden or straight into the ground. Their soil needs tend be very easy to accommodate. They like an acidic soil that is lighter in texture so a sand dirt mix or a peat moss is also a good thing for strawberries. A good fertilizer will get them going in the right direction for hardy root base and good growth of berries. Also make sure when choosing an area to plant your strawberries that they will be in a full sun area.

They are best to be planted in spring after the last freeze. Some people get away with planting them in the fall if they have a mild winter with very little frost. The strawberry plant can stay in the ground year round with proper insulation. Either cover with plastic or bed well with manure to keep the warmth in.

They need to be watered year round but not a lot they are fairly hardy. If grown in a container garden you need to make sure the soil has good drainage. Also watch as you water that the dirt is not being moved away and exposing the roots of the plant.

For best results in spring start pinching off the white flowers the more you pinch off the more fruit you will get. I wait until I have about 10-20 flowers on one strawberry plant to start letting them fruit. You will want to pick them as soon as they are ripe or your local garden pests will be helping you out with your harvest. You will also want to know what type of berry you have an early late or ever bearing plant.

To protect from pest we use crushed eggs shells and diatomaceous earth. We dont want to kill any of our beneficial bugs so we use no chemical pesticides.