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How To Grow Strawberries
Copyright: 2007 Marilyn Pokorney
Strawberries are a healthful and delicious summer treat that anyone can grow in a garden, on a patio, or even in pots.
First choose which kind of strawberry you want to plant. June bearing plants yield one large harvest, everbearing produces two or three harvests throughout the summer and day neutral will yield smaller berries throughout the summer.
Strawberries are susceptible to Verticillium Wilt. Do not plant strawberries where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or potatoes have grown in the past three years.
Plant dormant plants in well drained soil in a sunny area in the spring. Plant them about 12 inches apart and keep the crowns just above soil level.
On June bearing varieties pinch off all flowers the first year. This lets the plant use all it's energy into growing a big healthy plant and it will produce more berries from the second year onward. With the other two varieties pinch off blooms that form before July first.
Strawberries require one to two inches of water a week to produce moist berries.
Root rot, fruit rot, and fungus are the most serious problems with strawberries. Keep them dry with good air circulation.
A good compost or light fertilizer can be used but special fertilizers are available. Do not over fertilize or the plant will grow more leaves but produce less fruit.
Mulch between plants to keep the soil cool and moist. But do not keep the leaves wet. Straw is a perfect mulch for strawberries.
In autumn, when the ground has frozen, put a layer of straw on the plants to protect the crowns from the bitter cold. Uncover them in the spring.
After 5 years remove the youngest strawberry plants and transplant them into a new bed.
For more information on growing healthy strawberries visit:
http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/strawberry.htm
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Author: Marilyn Pokorney Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net Email: Current address on website *****************************************
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