Tips on How to Successfully Grow Strawberries

Provided by: Jorbins.com

First make sure you are planting your strawberry plants in an area that gets full sun and the soil is rich and well drained. If you are going to grow the strawberries in an area that used to be a garden patch you may want to consider varieties of strawberry plants that are more resistant to diseases and pests such as Eariglow, Settler, Trista, Allstar, or Tribute.

Due to Verticillium wilt we recommend not planting where potatoes have been grown the previous year. Some gardeners prefer to wait at least 3 years before placing strawberry plants in these areas.

Depending on the climate of your area you will plant either in late summer, early fall, or in warmer areas in the spring. You can choose to plant June bearing plants which produce just once a year usually in late spring or early summer or you can plant everbearing strawberry varieties if you want fresh strawberries for the whole summer season. Most people that choose to freeze or preserve the majority of their strawberry crop choose the June bearing type.

When planting make sure your strawberry plants are at least 2 1/2 feet apart. If you add mulch around the plants it will help greatly when it comes to weeding and watering. Remember strawberries require lots of deep and frequent waterings to produce well.

To ensure the roots don't dry out and the crown doesn't rot the crown must be above the soil and the top roots must be covered by at least 1/2 inch of soil.

After your plants start producing you should place a net over them to keep the birds from eating your crop.

To make sure you keep away from diseases and pests you should move your strawberry patch every two to three years, at this time it is best to start over with new plants.

Strawberry plants can also be grown in containers but you must water them much more frequently, often twice a day in warm climates.