The best way to eat strawberries is when they are ripe and fresh from your own garden. You won’t get the same juicy flavor from store-bought berries. But, how do you grow the fruit if you’ve never done it before? Read on for 7 Tips for Growing Strawberries so you can enjoy them from your own garden!
7 Tips for Growing Strawberries
1. Spring is the best time to plant strawberries. You want all the frosts out of the way, but you want to plant soon enough that they will be already growing by the warm summer weather. April is usually the best time to plant strawberries.
2. Choose the right planting location for you. With strawberries, you have quite a few options for where to plant. You can pot them, put them in the ground, or plant in raised beds. The last option will give your fruit a proper drainage system, though pots are great if you want to grow strawberries and don’t have a ton of space.
3. Look out for gray mold. It is not uncommon for a few strawberries to be affected by gray mold. Once it gets on the berries, it can cause rot and spread to other plants in the same area. Monitor your strawberry plants often and remove any mold as soon as you spot it.
4. Give your berries lots of sun. Strawberries crave direct sunlight in order to grow properly. Choose a location for your pots or beds where your berries can thrive. However, on the day of planting, the weather should be overcast. This prevents the plants from starting to wilt before you give them their first watering.
5. Cover the soil with black plastic. This helps to reduce the amount of weeds that grow around your strawberry plants. You should keep watch for weeds and remove them promptly. The plastic will also help cut down on the chances of fungus growing or spreading through your crops.
6. Give your strawberry plants lots of space. Since each plant will yield a lot of berries, you want to space them about 18 inches apart when you plant. Ensure the roots are thoroughly covered, but that the crown of the plant can get lots of light and air.
7. Pinching creates bigger strawberry yields in the future. Pinching the strawberry runners in the first year prevents any berries from forming, but the yield from your second and future seasons will likely be even more than you would have gotten in the first year. If you are yearning for some berries in your first season of planting, pinch half for the future while leaving the other half to produce berries.
More Tips for Growing Berries in Your Garden:
5 Tips for Growing Strawberries
Danielle Roodt says
Hi hope you are well.
What does pinching the strawberries mean?
Candace says
I live about 10 miles from the Winter Strawberry Capitol of the World, but I have never tried to grow them myself. I have thought of planting them several times over the years but somehow never got around to it. Thanks for the great tips.
David Wharton says
I surely do miss the Strawberry Festival and U-Pic strawberries and blueberries on SR 574 in Seffner. Good tips. Cheers!
Vell says
Can I get more strawberry plants from the runners, if i cut and transplant runners, will they grow?
Alea Milham says
Yes, they will.