Strawberries are a delicious, nutritious crop and you can grows them in many parts of the world. The plants grow from runners and it is best to plant them in early spring. If you’re planning on getting a couple of crops of berries each year, here’s what you need to know:
Plant strawberries in the early spring.
If you’re growing strawberries in your own garden, it’s best to plant in the early spring. Planting after the last spring frost will give you a chance to get two crops of berries on your plants before they go dormant for winter.
Planting in late summer or early fall means that you have to water more often and more deeply than if you planted earlier.
Plant where there is good drainage and full sun.
- Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. The strawberry plant needs at least six hours of sunlight per day, so choose a location with good drainage and full sun.
- Choose a pH between 5.4 and 6.5 for best results with your strawberries, as this range is ideal for growing plants that require acidic or alkaline conditions (such as tomatoes). Rich organic matter may also help improve the quality of your soil for better growth potential, as well as prevent erosion when you’re working outside all summer long!
Strawberry varieties
There are more than a dozen varieties of strawberries. Strawberry varieties come in many sizes, colors and flavors—from tiny red berries to large white ones. Which variety to choose can depend on several factors, e.g.
- What type of strawberry grows best in your region,
- but maybe also, what do you want to do with the berries? Do you want to make jam or eat them fresh?
Sparkle strawberries are the first choice when it comes to making jam. They will produce a high number of runners, so you need to monitor your strawberry bed and thin them out every now and then. As they ripen late, you can combine them with earlier varieties to extend your growing season.
Such an early producer is for example the Honeoye variety. It is an easy to grow type and not a lot of other types will bring a gardener such a rich yield. If you want an even earlier crop, you should consider Earliglow; this resistant, very sweet variety is a good choice for canning.
It’s important to choose the right variety based on your location because different types of strawberries grow well depending on climate conditions such as temperature range, rainfall levels and soil quality (it’s better if there is some organic material present). Depending on your location, you might also need to consider your local pests. It is best to ask your local garden store, which variety grows best in your area.
Get two crops by planting early!
Choosing the right variety and then planting early can bring you two crops per year! If you plant strawberries after the last frost, it’s best for your plants to have a few weeks of warm weather before they start flowering and fruiting. When this happens, they will produce more fruit than if your soil isn’t warm enough or if they were planted too late—and therefore don’t get enough sunlight during their first few weeks of growth. Now that you have a better understanding of when strawberries can be planted and how they grow, it’s time to get planting! If you follow these guidelines, you’ll have plenty of delicious strawberries later on.