Strawberries are among my most favorite fruits to grow in my garden, and I’m sure that these delicious and sweet berries are the favorite of everyone who cultivates these berries. They can be enjoyed fresh, frozen and canned or transformed into jams and jellies and are simply delicious. The variety of strawberries you grow, you’ll be able to have a great time enjoying the fruit throughout the year.

As per Tufts University, strawberries are loaded with nutrients, fiber, high levels of antioxidants, also known as polyphenols and high levels of anthocyanins which can reduce inflammation. They rank in the top twenty fruits with antioxidant capacity. They are also excellent sources of folate, manganese, and potassium. A single serving of around 8 strawberries contains the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. That’s an effective food source.

Types of strawberry What kind of strawberry do you want to plant?

There are three kinds of strawberries, and they all produce various sizes of berries at different times of the year the three types are the June bearing (aka the spring-earing) Everbearing,, and Day-Neutral.

June bears strawberries

June-bearing strawberries yield large fruits over a two-week time frame, typically in the middle of June and into early July, based on the location you live in. Out of the three types of plants, those that bear fruit in June produce the highest yield per year, but in a relatively short time, which makes them the most suitable option for jelly and jams. A plant that produces in June can produce an impressive amount of runners, and can produce around 120 daughters each year if it is left untended.

However, to make matters more confusing to make things more confusing, the June-bearing varieties can also be classified as Mid-Season, Early Season and Late Season. Each of the June-bearing varieties of strawberries bears fruits for 10-14 days, with a start date of 5-14 days before the preceding kind. If you plant several of these varieties of June bearing strawberries, you can expect a constant supply of large berries over the course of approximately 60 days.

Everbearing strawberries

Everbearing strawberry plants produce two crops throughout the season: one in spring and the other in the late summer or autumn. If the conditions are right there is a possibility for certain everbearing varieties to yield three-berry harvests. It is generally true that everbearing strawberries produce less runners than varieties that bear in June, since most of the plant’s production energy is directed towards making multiple harvests of strawberries. Everbearing strawberry varieties are typically grown using the hill system, or in areas that have limited space.

Sarian Strawberries are an Everbearing/Day-Neutral type with small to medium-size fruit which produces all season long.

Day-Neutral Strawberries

Day-neutral strawberries are fruitful all through the growing season. They can yield a decent amount in the very first year they are planted. They will only produce some runners. The disadvantage of having fruit for the whole season is that strawberry plants that are day neutral yield smaller-sized berries as the everbearing and June bearing strawberry varieties. Their fruit seldom exceeds 1 inch.

If you’re limited on space, you can try a variety that is ever-bearing or day-neutral. These kinds of strawberries do well in areas with little area and can be planted in garden beds or containers. They can also be used for edging or ground cover in edible gardens.

When should you plant strawberries?

Strawberries must be planted when the soil is able to be worked in spring generally in April or March, dependent on the zone you live in and the local weather. This planting early lets the plants establish before the hot weather sets in. Don’t plant them when the soil is wet from the spring rains or snow melting.

Avoid planting strawberries on a cloudless and bright day. The abrupt, direct sunlight could result in stress on the transplants, which can hinder growth and could damage the plants. They’ll thrive if they’re planted in the day when it’s cloudy or overcast. If no clouds are visible on the sky, wait until later in the day to plant.

Related Post: Benefits Of Using Fish Poop in Your GardenPlant the strawberry plants so they are covering the tops of the roots taking care not to completely cover the crown, with new growth. In about 4-5 weeks, plants will start producing runners and produce new plants.

Pick the right day-neutral strawberry for your containers, and you will get a regular crop on your patio, deck or on your balcony.

Strawberry Planting Methods

Matted Row systems

Matted rows are the ideal method to plant June-bearing strawberries. The plants should be planted between 18-30” in rows that are 3-4 feet apart. Let the daughter plants grow freely in order to form rows that are not more than 2 feet.

Spaced-Row systems

The spacing of rows limits the number of daughters that can grow from a mother plant. Similar to the matted rows that are planted, place mother plants 18-30′ apart in rows spaced 3-4 feet from each other. The plants of the daughters are spaced so that they can root no more than 4 inches away. The rest of the runners are cut away from their mother plant. This technique yields greater yields, bigger berries and lower risk of disease as opposed to matted rows.

Hill systems

Hill systems are ideal to grow day-neutral, everbearing strawberries. The runners are all removed from hill systems, so that only the mother plant is able to bear fruits. The mother plant is then forced to grow more crowns and flower stalks. Plants should be placed about one foot apart in a series of rows. Then, arrange the rows in groups of three, two or four plants. There should be a an area of two feet between rows. In the initial 2 or 3 weeks, your plant must be weeded and then mulched.

Producing strawberries in containers

Strawberries can be grown effectively in containers provided you follow some simple guidelines. The first step is to select a type of berry for your container that doesn’t produce lots of runners plants. It’s tempting for you to plant huge plants with big berries, however they’ll not thrive within the space the container provides. Instead, select varieties that have smaller fruit (day-neutral varieties typically) and only plant more than three plant species for each square inch of dirt. If the plants are overcrowded with each other, they will produce fewer and smaller fruits. The strawberry roots are extremely sensitive to heat temperatures, so make sure you choose containers that are not too hot in colour and also give the container shade in the afternoon during the hottest daytime temperatures of summer. Strawberries require plenty of water to create the beautiful berries. So make sure to water your plants regularly in the summer heat. summer, you may need two waterings. The aim is to ensure that the soil remains moist but not too wet.

If you’re planning to try to grow similar type of strawberries next year Keep tending to your strawberry pot throughout the fall, because it is when you must improve the nutrition of your plants so that it can grow fruit buds in the spring following. The strawberry pot needs to be kept warm during the winter. Like the strawberry roots are prone to summer heat they are also prone to freezing. With no insulation qualities of the soil at ground level, roots are able to be frozen in a container, if exposed to cold winter temperatures.