Strawberry plants are easy to grow. They are one of the most popular fruits to grow in the backyard. If you are looking for a simple way to grow strawberries, this article is the right choice. You can find a lot of information about how to grow strawberries on the Internet. But I am going to show you a complete guide to growing strawberries. In this article, we will discuss some important points related to growing strawberries.
Strawberries need uniform temperature, rainfall, drainage, and good protection from wind to grow healthier. This article provides the step by step guide on growing strawberries. It explains what is needed for growing strawberries and how to grow them successfully.
Most often, the gardeners try to grow Strawberries. Strawberries are usually planted as inexpensive dormant bare roots. This plant is great for new gardeners because it can grow with little care and protection. Moreover, they are very rewarding because the taste is far more flavorful than you will ever find in the grocery store. They need protection from winter’s fury, not only for their survival but also for strong growth and production next year. Keep reading the article to know how to grow strawberries.
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How to Grow Strawberries?
Strawberries are the most popular plant to grow up in your home garden. They can easily fit within small space containers or huge garden plots. They can grow in any climate and soil around the globe as long as you plant them in a location that gets full sun. Winter is the best time when you start preparing and protecting your darling strawberry plants for a long winter’s nap! Their protection and care depend upon where and how you grow strawberries, whether in a garden setting, raised beds, or in a container. Strawberries plants need a lot of space around them to grow and fruit well. Also, keep the distance between plants free of weeds.
Growing Strawberries
Growing strawberries or any other plant in your home garden is the kind of fun. Turnip plants do not require more protection, care, or any other special equipment. One of the biggest benefits of growing strawberries in your home garden is their perennial nature, and because of it, they can be productive for four or five years. With minimal effort, you can get the reward of your labor for several years after initially planting strawberries. Strawberry plants, treated as annuals, are grown closer together than those left to grow as perennials. Scroll down to know how to grow your strawberries in your home garden.
Choose a site
The very best fruit grows in full sunshine. Pick a sunny, sheltered site in fertile, free-draining soil that’s ideally slightly acidic. Strawberries produce a huge crop of berries in late spring or summer, and they may have few berries here and there for the rest of the season. Strawberries continue to produce berries regularly up until frost. You get benefits from berries year-round without ever having to buy another strawberry plant. Strawberries may also be grown in a container, hanging basket, and towers making them extremely flexible fruit!
Soil
Strawberries can be grown in any soil, although they prefer soil that drains well. You can easily improve your soil compost by digging in lots of organic matter before planting. A well-rotted compost helps to add nutrients to the soil, which highly benefits the plant. A soil test will help you determine if you need to add any nutrients to your ground before planting. Plant the strawberries from started plants or root systems, so the plant’s crown sits just above the soil. Space cultivates 8 to 15 inches apart in a row, with at least 12 inches between the rows for easy cultivation and harvest access.
Water
Strawberries are a thirsty plant, and they need a constantly moist environment to grow healthier. For the best result, water the plants equivalent to 1 inch of rainfall per week. When the fruit starts forming, water up to two inches for their better flavor; however, always try to water plants early in the day so that leaves have a chance to dry before nightfall. This will save plants from diseases and help to grow faster. Strawberries need a site with direct sunlight of 6 to 8 hours and good drainage because they don’t like to sit in standing water.
Fertilizer for Strawberries
When the leaves of your strawberry turn yellow within a month of planting them in the garden, then apply a fertilizer. You can fertilize in spring and again in the fall. Soil should be tested for nutrients to ensure neither you are over-fertilizing nor under-fertilizing your strawberry plants. You can use any of the numbers of organic fertilizers if you are growing organically. Otherwise, if you are using a 10-10-10 fertilizer, the basic rule of thumb is to add 1 pound per 20-foot row of strawberries one month after planting. Strawberries are a fairly hardy plant in general, but using the right fertilizer lets you concentrate on getting the best possible fruit. Keep an eye on your plant in the first year. If they are not doing well or the berries are not ripening, then adding a nitrogen fertilizer will help the plant.
Harvesting of strawberries
After a couple of years of planting and caring for your strawberries, you are ready for harvest! Fruit is typically prepared after 4 to 6 weeks of blossoming. Pick your strawberry when they are fully ripe all over. If you can, pick them up on a sunny afternoon. At that time, their flavor is more concentrated. Most strawberries are completely red when ripe, but some plants’ leaves do not allow the red color to develop. If you want to maintain the ripeness of your high-quality strawberries, you will harvest them every day.
Keep your strawberries fresh and pick them from your garden when you have cravings to eat them. Storing strawberries in the refrigerator for a very long time may affect their flavor and taste. Pick them when they dry to keep for future use.
Growing strawberries in the container
Strawberries are a great choice to fill your pots, planters, and hanging basket. You have two options when it comes to protecting potted strawberries, bringing them indoors or digging the pot into the ground for winter. Any strawberry can grow in a jar. Make sure you get the right size container because each plant has its different container size needs. It may seem like a small consideration, but choosing a pot can impact your plant’s health and how much watering you will need to do. A good container material also helps to grow plants healthier.
There are several distinct advantages to growing strawberries in tubs of any kind. Plants can be moved to track the sun, or they enjoy more warmth and light in pots. Strawberries can even produce just as well in a container as their in-ground counterparts. Make sure to avoid overcrowding in pots because strawberry plants need space to grow. In winters, if the temperature drops out of the low twenties and stays for a while, plants freeze, which will surely kill them. So, provide them some extra insulation and put them in the garage to offer them some shelter from the harsh winter season.
Also read the article How to Grow Strawberries in Florida?
How long does it take for strawberries to grow?
Strawberries are worth growing plants in your home garden as it is highly appreciated for their characteristics aroma, bright color, juicy texture, and sweetness. Strawberries can be grown as seeds, ordered as bare-root,s and bought at a nursery as seedlings. Strawberry grown seed will take between 160-and 210 days to grow strawberries. Generally, strawberry seeds can be started indoors around February and then transplant outside in April or May.
The quantity of time that it will take depends upon a few factors, such as growing condition, types of strawberries, the time of year you are planting, the type of soil you choose, etc. They are generally ready to harvest after 4-6 weeks of blooming. However, the average time for strawberries to produce fruit is roughly 3 months, depending upon the variety. March to June is the average strawberry season, but there are variances between types.
Types of strawberries
Strawberries fruit belongs to a rose family. You have to choose the right type for your garden plants, and this will help you satisfy your yen for these juicy red fruits. Picking the right kind of strawberry will enhance your crop and keep you in berries for an extended period. Every year hundreds of different named varieties are introduced. You can find every kind of strawberry plant that is juicy and sweet across the world.
There are three types of strawberries, and each one grows according to its time duration. You can grow all three classes simultaneously in your garden for the largest harvest of the season.
June- bearing
June is a special time for getting a reward from your plants. This plant has one monster crop of barries every year. They produce the largest crop tremendously, and most of them produce harvest around June, hence the name. These are attractive characteristics for the commercial grower, but home gardeners could be left wondering what to do with an enormous amount of fruit all at once.
In winter, high temperatures while the plants are flowering can completely lose that year’s crop. June-bearing varieties grown outdoor can also be mulched with straw in spring to delay flowering.
Ever-bearing strawberry
Everbearing strawberries are not actually “everbearing.” They generally produce two harvests each year; one in the spring and one in the late summer or fall. These plants have a more modest size crop. They need 12 hours of daylight to produce the finest flavor of the fruit. In general, everbearing varieties put out fewer runners than the June bearing variety. Everbearing strawberries are often planted using the hill station or in locations where the space is limited. They produce smaller fruits, and plants generate fewer than June bearing. Some varieties are suited for hotter climates. The chance of cold temperature during fruit production is reduced, making these more reliable producers.
Day-neutral
This strawberry plant falls in early June, mid-July, and late August and gives the finest output. Because of their unique nature, they will produce a good harvest when they are first planted. They bloom flowers and make strawberries whenever the temperature is between 35 to 85 degrees. They must grow in high tunnels to extend the growing season and protect the plants from winter kill, birds, and other weeds that enjoy eating strawberries. Extreme heat can slow or stop flowering during the hottest part of the summer. These plants are planted in those locations where space is bounded. The disadvantage of day-neutral strawberries is that they produce a lower harvest than other types.
Conclusion
Strawberry is a fruit plant that is used for eating and medicine. Strawberries are a healthful addition to any diet, food, and other bakery items. They grow best in deep, loamy soil in organic matter. Irrigation is important for good plant growth during dry periods and can also prevent frost injury in the spring. Strawberries are a delicious fruit to try, but at the same time, eating too many strawberries may affect your health and diet. Excessive fruit intake can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and bloating. It is recommended that individuals consume a serving of 8 strawberries per day.
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