How to Grow Strawberries

The cooler weather means that the fear of frost is diminishing, making spring the perfect time to start planting strawberries for an early summer crop.

Strawberries can be grown in a backyard, a community garden or even in a small patio/roof garden. Because they are easy to cultivate, strawberries are an ideal plant for children to care for (and eat!). Juicy homegrown strawberries make the perfect vitamin C rich treat. Read on, roll up your sleeves and get planting!

There are two strawberry varieties, June-bearers and ever-bearers. As the name suggests, the June-bearing varieties produce their crop for about three weeks from late spring to early summer. The ever-bearers produce berries from spring through to late fall.

Focus on June-bearing strawberries:

June bearing strawberries cost around $3.50 per plant from stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. June-bearing varieties are said to taste better than ever-bearing varieties. Krohne Plant Farms owners Bill and Sheila Krohne say this variety “produces better quality berries.” Expect to make back the money spent on the plants- each plant bears about a quart of fruit. A quart of store bought strawberries can cost up to $5.00 in grocery stores.

Choose a sunny spot to plant the strawberries. Try to pick a place that gets at least five hours of daily sunlight. Use one part topsoil, one part manure and two parts native soil. Mix well and dig a generous hole for the roots. When planted, firm in the soil around the plants. Strawberries need plenty of water; don’t allow the soil to become completely dry.

Fertilizing strawberries is important, and many people prefer to use a natural fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro® Organic Choice Plant Food. An all-purpose fertilizer like Schultz Plant Food can be applied ‘every time you water’. Fertilize your plants regularly throughout spring.

These plants tend to spread out as far as they possibly can so remove dying vines and place mulch between unruly plants to prevent them from growing out of control. Pine straw works well, but some gardeners use ordinary straw.

Pest control is an important part of growing strawberries, especially if there is an abundance of slugs in your region. Slugs are especially attracted to strawberries; preventing these critters from ruining the crop can be done by setting up beer baths. Place a little beer in shallow containers (such as ashtrays or disposable mouth rinse cups) Slugs cannot resist the brew, and the stuff kills them. Change the beer daily for best results.

Eggshells work wonders too. Break up saved eggshells and work into a fine consistency. Liberally place the eggshells on the ground immediately underneath the plants. Slugs cannot stand passing over jagged surfaces and they will stay away from the crop.

Focus on Ever-bearing Strawberries:

This variety will provide tasty berries through summer well into fall. Ever-bearers are ideal for container plantings because they do not spread much. Expect to pay a little more for these long lasting plants- around $7.00 each.

If planting in a container, a large pot should be used, one with good drainage. Use one part potting soil and one part native soil. Mix well and ensure that all root systems are fully covered. Place container on a sunny patio or roof garden. Water regularly, taking care not to over water. Apply fertilizer once every four weeks. Details about this can be read above. Pick the berries as they grow, do not allow them to become over ripe as they will simply rot.

According to Peter Mchoy and Tessa Evelegh, authors of Garden Planning and Garden Design, ‘make sure you grow for flavour to make the effort worthwhile (and be sure to protect them from birds). You can buy huge and luscious-looking strawberries in shops or markets, but some of the varieties with smaller fruits may have a better, often sweeter, flavour.’