Stargazer Perennials Garden Journal: HOW TO GROW STRAWBERRIES

Stargazer Perennials Garden Journal

HOW TO GROW STRAWBERRIES

Even if you have a very small backyard, you can grow your own strawberries! Growing your own strawberries is an easy and rewarding gardening venture. Strawberries are very versatile hardy perennial plants that can be planted in a variety of ways: In patio containers, in hanging baskets, in vegetable gardens or in raised beds. Our favorite method of growing strawberries at Stargazer Perennials is in a raised bed. Regardless of where you grow your strawberries, locate your strawberry bed in a location that will receive full sun for the majority of the day and in an area that also has convenient access to water. If you have deer or rabbit problems, you will want to keep your strawberry bed protected.

Strawberries require good drainage and perform best in a sandy loam soil. If you are planting strawberries directly in the ground amend and prepare your soil properly to ensure good drainage and soil fertility. Stay clear of 'hot' manure such as fresh horse, cow or chicken manure that can burn and damage delicate strawberry plants. If you are using a raised bed, prepare your raised bed with a good quality potting soil. Incorporate a quality organic fertilizer such as Down to Earth All Purpose fertilizer in at a rate of 1lb per 100 sq ft.

You can plant strawberries from bareroot divisions or from actively growing plants. At Stargazer Perennials we sell actively growing strawberry plants in either 4 inch pots or 1 gallon size containers. Planting actively growing plants eliminates much of the frustration and plant loss that often occurs when planting bare root divisions in the spring.

Browse our selection of sustainably grown, pesticide-free strawberry plants here...

Plant strawberry plants 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet to 4 feet apart. When planting strawberries make sure that the crown of the strawberry plant is above the soil level and that the uppermost roots are at least 1/4 inch below the soil level. As strawberries grow they will produce runners that will spread out and root to produce additional plants. Position the first runners with approximately 6 inches of spacing between them. Only allow a few runners per plant, after which remove additional runners to promote crown growth. A well established strawberry row should be approximately 24 inches wide. Water your strawberry plants consistently throughout the growing season. Strawberry plants require 1 inch to 2 inches of water per week. Fertilizer the strawberry plants with Maxi-crop liquid fertilizer at 3 week intervals during the growing season to promote growth and berries. Harvest your strawberries the same day that you will eat or use them; once picked strawberries will not continue to ripen. Thin strawberry beds every year in the early fall by narrowing the rows to 6 inches to 12 inches and mowing or cutting back the plants to 1inch above the crowns. Thinning or renovating your strawberry bed will encourage productivity for years to come. Applying a covering of mulch over the strawberry bed prior to winter is recommended for USDA gardening zone 6 or below. Mulching is the time honored way to help strawberries survive even the coldest of winters. When low temperatures drop below 28 degrees F. outside apply a covering mulch of several inches of straw or some similar material. Although early spring frosts can cause damage to strawberries you will want to remove the winter mulch early in the spring to help promote healthy plants and deter pests.

Shop for Ft Laramie Strawberry Plants here
Shop for Ozark Strawberry Plants here
Shop for Allstar Strawberry Plants here
Shop for Alpine Strawberry Plants here