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 GROWING STRAWBERRIES
A RAISED BED GARDEN KIT is the ideal way to begin
this exciting project. Strawberries are one of those fruits that
anyone can grow, a sunny porch or
balcony is just fine. Growing Strawberries is Fun & Easy, and your crop
will produce plenty of harvests for years to come. With appropriate soil
and a sunny spot, each Strawberry plant should produce one quart
of strawberries!
And there's good reason to grow your own ~
Commercially grown Strawberries are deemed one of the “Dirty Dozen”
fruits---those that are generally loaded with high levels of pesticide
residue, even after you wash them!
Basics: Sun - Rich Soil - Good Drainage - that's pretty
much all Strawberries need.
- Strawberries need a minimum of six hours of full sun
per day.
- Make sure your RAISED BED GARDEN KIT is placed
in a Full Sun location.
- You will need to fill your garden bed with Sandy Loam
with a pH from 5.8 to 6.2. Your local garden center can
help you find just the right soil.
- Drainage- Strawberries hate sitting in water.
They need consistent moisture, but will rot if there is poor
drainage. Strawberry's love a RAISED BED GARDEN,
which naturally drains well.
- Do NOT plant your Strawberry's near tomatoes, potatoes, peppers
or eggplant. (These plants can harbor Verticillium wilt, which can
infect Strawberry plants.)
Strawberry Plants
- There are basically 3 types of Strawberry plants: June Bearing,
Everbearing and Day Neutral.
June Bearing Strawberries produce a single, large
crop per year during a 2-3 week period in the spring. June bearers are
the traditionally grown plants, producing a single
flush of flowers and many runners. They are classified into early,
mid-season and late varieties. The largest fruits are generally from
June Bearing varieties.
Everbearing Strawberries produce two to three
harvests of fruit intermittently during the spring, summer and fall.
Everbearing plants do not send out many runners.
Day Neutral Strawberries will produce fruit
throughout the growing season. These Strawberries also produce few
runners. Everbearing and Day Neutral Strawberries are great when space
is limited, but the fruits are usually somewhat smaller than June
Bearers.
 **As with all plants, new, improved varieties are introduced
every year. Call your local Cooperative Extension service for strawberry
varieties grown and recommended for your specific area.
Planting Your Strawberry Plants
- Plant in Spring or late Fall
- Amend soil with 1-2 inches of organic matter like compost or
well- rotted manure.
- Make sure all weeds are removed before planting.
- Be sure you purchase Certified Disease-Free Plants.
- Select plants with large crowns with healthy, light-colored
roots.
- Make a hole large enough to spread the roots. Hill the center of
the hole and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots
downward on the hill. Bury the plant so that the soil only goes
halfway up the crown.
- Once your plants are in, you can mulch the beds with straw,
shredded leaves, compost, or pine needles. Pine needles are great
because they will raise the acidity level of your soil as they break
down.
Leaves and flower buds will emerge shortly after planting. Pinch off
all flowers during the first year on June Bearing varieties, and all
flowers that form until July 1st on Ever-Bearing and Day Neutral
varieties. This will encourage both plant vigor and production of
runners.. Pinching off this years flowers means no crop this year but a
much better crop next year and several more years of production.
As runners (new growth shoots) form from the plant crowns, press the
runners gently into the soil, cover with about 1/2 inch of soil until
roots form. Do not cut the runners from the mother plant.
Maintenance Tips
Water
Remember, Strawberries don't like to sit in water, but they do
need consistent water available to them. This is why well-drained soil
is so important. Strawberries require one inch of water per week to
produce fruit. They are shallow-rooted, and if the soil dries out too
much, fruit production will stop. Mulching, as mentioned above, also
helps keep the soil moisture level more consistent.
Fertilizing
Strawberries need constant nutrition to maintain fruit yields. Feed your
Strawberry plants once per month from June to September with blood meal
and bone meal. (can be purchased at your local garden center)
In addition to the watering and fertilizing, it is important to keep
your luscious Strawberry Patch weed free, weeds will steal moisture and
nutrients from your shallow-rooted Strawberries. Keep your berries
harvested, and remove any rotting fruit immediately.
ENJOY!!
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