Planting Strawberry | Everything About Growing Strawberries

Planting Strawberry is fun and this way you can enjoy tasty fruits! Here’s Everything About Growing Strawberries!

Sweet, sharp, and crisp – strawberry is the only fruit you can grow everywhere! In hanging baskets, borders, upside-down planters, window boxes, pots, and garden beds! Sounds exciting? Let’s have a look at all the details on Growing Strawberries!

Here are Genius Strawberry Growing Hacks

Choosing the Right Variety

Choose whether you want to grow strawberries as an annual or perennial. There are three types of strawberry varieties: June bearer or summer fruiting, which bear fruits once in a year in summer and grow as annuals. This type produces the juiciest and biggest ones.

Everbearing varieties bear fruits twice in summer and fall.

The third type of variety is called Day-neutral. It is hybrid and grows well all year round in the right growing conditions and climate.

Check out these Best Strawberry Companion Plants

Planting Method

Basically, there are four methods to plant strawberries:

1. Runners: These are thin pieces of roots with a few leaves; runners are the cheapest source to plant strawberries.
2. Misted Tips: Plant grown from misted tips are less prone to disease and grows better, actually misted tips are the tips of the mother plant.
3. Cold Stored Runners: Runners stored in cold storage for a long period are used for planting after winter.
4. Potted Plants: You can buy potted plants from garden centers; this is the easiest method to grow strawberries. If you’re a container gardener, go for this one.

Here are some super cool DIYs for growing strawberries in a small space

Planting Strawberry

Choose a planting method that suits you, and buy a plant from a reputable source. Prefer less windy, frost-free, and fertile spot with good drainage that receives at least five-six hours of direct sunlight for planting.

You can also plant strawberries in raised beds in rows leaving space of 15-18’’ between plants and 3-4 feet between rows because most of the strawberry varieties develop many runners.

To Know Everything About Growing Strawberries, Click here

If you’re growing a day-neutral or everbearing strawberry variety then only leave 6-8 inches of space between plants and allow only two runners to grow from the mother plant, because everbearing and day-neutral varieties have fewer runners and small fruits, this will allow the mother plant to grow more vigorously.

Make sure while planting that you don’t plant it too deep so that its crown (the point where the stem and root of the plant join) or leaves won’t be covered in soil. After plantation, add mulch to prevent weeds and keep up moisture.

Strawberry planting is the key to a healthy upright plant, take special care that you plant it at the correct depth.

Requirements for Growing Strawberries

Location

The best to ensure the plant grows plenty of strawberries is to expose it to 5-6 hours of bright and direct sunlight every day. The more sunlight the plant gets, the better it will for the growth and number of fruits.

Soil

Find out whether your soil is alkaline or acidic – amend your soil if it is alkaline. Strawberry prefers rich and loamy growing medium; add compost, manure, rotted sawdust, and organic matter.

You can also use coffee grounds and compost tea to increase soil acidity and fertility.

For growing strawberries in containers, use quality general-purpose potting mix, and add plenty of organic matter into it before planting.

Learn How to Change Your Soil pH here

Watering

Water deeply and frequently without letting the soil dry out completely, but avoid overwatering.  Avoid overhead watering as this can cause crown rot and loss of the plant.

Strawberry roots are shallow, so they need moisture frequently in the growing season, regular watering is favorable.

Always Look out for these Sure Shot Signs of Underwatered Plants

Taking Care of Strawberries

Fertilizer

Feed the plants with 10-10-10 fertilizer twice, once when the growth begins and after the last harvest. You can also feed plants with a potassium-rich liquid fertilizer every other week during the growing season.

Learn How To Make Bone Meal Fertilizer At Home here

Maintenance

Don’t allow your plant to bring out so many runners, for better yield.
After every growing season cut back the plants’ foliage to one inch, this will not only refresh the plants but also discourage possible fungal diseases.

Pests and Diseases

Strawberry plants after the third year of cropping produce fewer fruits and become more susceptible to diseases and pests. After this period, rotate your strawberry crop and grow new plants.

Birds are the main predators. Use fruit cages or nets to get rid of them. Powdery mildew, gray mold, spider mites, and slugs are the common pests that infect plants.

Strawberries are also subject to fruit rot, root rot, and fungus. Use row covers to protect plants from pests and temperature fluctuations.

Here are Common Houseplant Pests and How to Get Rid of Them

Harvesting Strawberries

After a month of blossoming, the fruits will be ready to be picked. Pick off a fruit only when you see it red and ripe. Harvest regularly because once the fruit ripens, it rots quickly.

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