Seasonal Fruit - How To Grow Sweet Strawberries

Can you think of anything better than walking out into your garden and picking your own sweet strawberries? How many strawberry plants should you have in your garden to supply a nice size crop for your family's pleasure? Around thirty plants will provide a good number of strawberries for you and your family to enjoy. Some would say that strawberries make a garden more beautiful and of course, they are easy to grow. Another advantage to growing strawberry plants is that they are among the first fruits to appear in the spring. Strawberries prefer mild temperatures but there are varieties that can thrive in the coldest and hottest of locations as well.

There 3 types of strawberry plants that are easily available to the home gardener:

June bearing strawberries produce a concentrated crop in late spring. With this plant, you will get more berries per season. The strawberries will be ready for your enjoyment over a three-week period at which time they are ripe.

Ever bearing strawberries produce two crops, one in the spring and fall.

Day Neutral strawberries produce fruit through the majority of the growing season.

When you select your strawberry plants you want to choose vigorous, plants free of viruses and if possible come from an established nursery. When you bring them home, remember that strawberry plants love the sunlight. They will produce the best crops when exposed to an abundance of sunshine. You can produce a harvestable crop of delicious berries with only six hours of direct sunlight per day if you do not have a location that provides an abundance of sunlight. The more sunlight your strawberries are exposed to the better the quality you will harvest.

Strawberry plants can be a bit temperamental in that they do not tolerate drought or standing water. Therefore, you want to make sure the site you select is well drained. If your soil does not retain moisture well consider adding an organic material. As you begin to place them in your garden you do not want to place them near the root zone of large trees as they will compete with each other for needed moisture. If you live in a region that has frequent dry spells, you want to be sure to plant your strawberries in a place that is easy to water.

Strawberries are herbaceous (non-woody) plants and easily grow in the ground or in containers. This is great for those who may not have access to an outdoor garden but still want to enjoy the pleasure of fresh grown strawberries. You will know that your strawberries are growing well when they develop tendrils. These are miniature plants on the end and are known as runners. When your strawberry plants develop three to four leaves it will then be time to cut off the runner and plant it in another pot and water it as needed.

One you have taken the runners, do not let them produce any strawberries, rather let them simply produce leaves. If you notice flowers that want to open, pinch them off. In doing this you will ensure that you have strawberries year-round for your family's delight. In addition, when you are watering your strawberry plants do not water the fruit or it may develop botrytis (a plant fungi) so invest in a watering can and water near the crown of the plants. If you notice that the leaves on your plants begin to look dead, this is all right and you should take them off the plant. If it is during the winter season, you can leave them on because the plant is dormant and having the dead leaves on them will not hurt them. When you begin to notice new growth, then you should take the dead leaves off the strawberry plants and water it well.

Strawberry plants normally have a three-year cycle. The first year the plants usually produce a small crop of strawberries. The second year you will see a slightly larger crop of strawberries as well as the third year. Typically after the third year, your plant will not produce the same amounts as previous years. This is where the runners you pulled off from the first year plants is important. If you keep taking the runners and potting them, you can harvest delicious strawberries throughout the year.