Strawberries are probably the most popular summer fruit that you can grow yourself. Until youStrawberries from your own gardenharvest, it still takes a while. But the first preparations must be made now for a good harvest in summer. Strawberries are usually planted in mid-summer (July, August), but spring planting is also possible for latecomers. Read on to learn how to plant strawberries in spring to get good yields in the first year.
Can you plant strawberries in spring?
If you missed the ideal planting time for strawberries in summer, you shouldn't necessarily miss out on delicious home-grown strawberries this season. Potted young plants are available for sale in spring and can easily be planted between March and May. Although the harvest achieved will not be as large as with a summer planting, you will still enjoy freshly picked strawberries in the summer.
Spring planting actually has an advantage over summer planting. If you plant strawberries in spring, the rows of beds can be planned better. The beds in the kitchen garden are still pretty empty at this time, so there is plenty of space available for the young plants.
Seeds or young plants for spring planting?
To plant strawberries you can eitherPrefer seeds or plant young plants directly. If you want to grow strawberries from seeds, you should start sowing them in winter, but at the end of March at the latest. The seeds need time to germinate and form seedlings. To do this, they are distributed in bowls with fresh sowing soil (strawberries germinate in light, so just press the seeds down and do not cover them with soil), covered with foil and placed in a bright place. The seedlings are pricked out and moved to small pots as soon as they have formed 5 leaves. The grown seedlings are fertilized in May and planted in the garden or in suitable containers on the balcony. Even after a few weeks you can already harvest the first fruits.
You can plant strawberries in spring if you have themright kindselects. The most suitable are wild and monthly strawberries as well as the so-called Frigo strawberries, which are usually used in commercial cultivation and can be planted throughout the entire strawberry season.
Here are some suitable varieties:
- Kitty Schindler
- Florica
- Bowlenzauber
- Reprimands
- Fresh
- Elan
- Ostara
- Mara de Bois
- Pink Pearls
- Kyrel
It's all about the right planting time
If you would like to plant strawberries in spring, you can buy potted young plants in March or April and plant them in the ground by May at the latest. The plants need to be well established before temperatures rise in the summer months. With a spring planting, you actually get a harvest in the first year, but it will not be as rich as strawberries planted in summer.
Plant the strawberry plants in early spring once the soil is dry and workable. Strawberries grow best in well-drained, reasonably fertile soil. A good supply oforganic material, which is incorporated into the soil, improves aeration, drainage and water holding capacity. Ideally, you should have applied the organic material the previous year.
Furthermore, you should only plant certified, disease-free plants. There is nothing more frustrating than carefully tending a strawberry patch only to find that the strawberry plants you have planted are not producing any yield. Also avoid using runners from an old bed as they are often affected by disease.
Planting strawberries in the garden: How to do it correctly
If you have already purchased good young plants or have grown them yourself, you can plant them in the ground or in pots until May. Before planting, loosen the soil 6 to 8 inches deep and keep it loose to allow runners and roots to become established. Then dig a hole for each plant large enough to allow the roots to sit straight down and spread out slightly. The center of the crown should be level with the soil surface and the top root should be just below the soil surface. Water the plants once they are in the ground.
Plant strawberries on the balcony in spring
Don't have a garden but still want to grow your own strawberries? Then even a small balcony is enough! You don't actually need much for a small strawberry patch on the balcony - just a suitable spot and the right care. Here are some tips for growing strawberries on the balcony.
- The right location: A sunny spot on the balcony is necessary for sweet strawberries. However, there are also varieties that thrive in partial shade, such as most wild or monthly strawberries.
- Water correctly: The strawberry soil does not have to be dry, but the strawberry plants cannot tolerate waterlogging either. Water the strawberries on the balcony twice on hot days, but only around the roots.
- Fertilize: It is best to provide the strawberries with organic fertilizer. If you plant strawberries on the balcony in spring, mix compost or horn shavings into the soil to provide the plants with valuable nutrients.
- Further care: Remove yellow leaves and check the plants regularly for pests.
If you want to snack on freshly picked strawberries in summer, you don't necessarily need a lot of space. Check out our ideas,where you can plant strawberries to save spaceand make the first preparations for the strawberry season in 2022!
