Growing and Using Strawberries
by Monica Resinger - plantldy98@aol.com
Mmmmmmmmm. There's nothing like a sun-ripened, freshly
picked strawberry. Warm, sweet and juicy. Growing your
own will offer you a sweeter strawberry because it is allowed
to ripen on the plant. You will also know how it was grown.
Children often like growing strawberries, well, because they
like strawberries! Here are some pointers on growing and
using them.
Strawberries grow 6-8 inches tall spreading about one foot
across with long runners. Their white, sometimes pink
(depending on the variety) flowers turn into luscious
strawberries that we can enjoy fresh, put into desserts, make
jam, or freeze and use later.
In mild winter areas, planting season is late summer or fall.
These plantings will produce a spring crop of strawberries. In
other areas, plant strawberries in early spring. Everbearers will
produce a summer and fall crop.
When planting strawberries, be sure the crown is above soil
level and the topmost roots are 1/4 inch beneath soil level
because buried crowns rot and exposed roots dry out. Use
mulch to keep berries clean, conserve moisture and keep weed
growth down. Set plants 2-3 feet apart and let runners fill in
until plants are 7-10 inches apart.
Strawberries like well drained fairly rich soil, so be sure to add
compost or other organic matter when preparing the
strawberry patch. They need full sun, and frequent, deep
soakings. Be sure to give adequate water during bearing
season. They will grow in all zones and should be fed twice a
year -- when growth begins and after the first crop. Use a
complete fertilizer high in phosphorous for feedings.
TYPES
June Bearing
June bearing types produce one crop per year in late spring or
early summer. Since this type gives you all the fruit at once,
it's best planted for reasons of preserving or freezing.
Everbearing
This type of strawberry tends to peak in early summer and
continue on through the fall. This is the type to plant if you
want fresh berries all season long.
Propagation
Most strawberries produce offsets at the end of runners. If you
want more plants, just let them grow. If you have enough
strawberry plants, pinching off the runners will give you larger
plants with small yields of big berries.
If your children are interested in growing strawberries,
you can let them plant and care for the whole patch,
or just one or two plants if the patch is too much for them.
Strawberries will also grow in containers, so this
is another option that is less work for children.
Remember that container plantings need much more
water than in the ground plantings, usually once a day;
if it's hot, twice. Be sure to let them help you with the fun
part -- harvesting and making delicious things to eat with them.
Monica Resinger is editor/founder of
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