Ripe and juicy strawberries are one of nature's sweetest treats. Whetherto smoothies, added to salads or simply as a snack - strawberries are on everyone's lips in summer. Strawberry plants are also one of the easiest and most versatile additions to any garden orbalcony. They enchant us with beautiful flowers in spring, bear fruit in summer and retain their decorative green foliage until autumn. If you want to pick sweet strawberries straight from your own garden, then read our guide to “planting strawberries”.
You can use the traditional growing method and plant the strawberry plants in long rows. In most home gardens, strawberries also work well as ground cover or as a bed border. If your garden does not have good soil quality, tryto build a raised bed. This way the strawberries will grow fasterripen and are even easier to harvest by hand. If your space is limited, know that all varieties except musk strawberries grow well in containers and various containers. From clay pots to pipes to hanging hanging baskets –Strawberries can be planted practically anywhere. However, to avoid problems with verticillium wilt, do not plant them in a location where you have previously grown eggplants, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes.
While strawberry plants are perennials and perennials, you will notice that yields begin to decline after a few years. It is recommended to renew the strawberry plants every three to five years. If strawberries are at risk from frost in your climate, they can be treated as an annual crop.
Planting strawberries – Make sure you choose the right variety
June-bearing strawberriesare gardeners' favorites. These varieties bear large fruits in two to three weeks in June to early July. However, they are fairly aggressive plants that spread widely by stolons.
With the monthly strawberriesyou have a greater chance of a harvest. As the name suggests, these varieties bear fruit several times a year - from spring to autumn. The fruits are smaller but very aromatic.
If you want to try something more exotic, you shouldWild strawberries and musk strawberriestake into consideration. The small, very ornamental forest varieties are easy to grow from seed and bear their tiny fruits all summer long. As their name suggests, wild strawberries do not tolerate heat and are therefore ideal for planting under trees. Musk strawberries, also called cinnamon strawberries, have a very intense taste that you can get used to. Both female and male plants will grow so that sufficient pollination is ensured.
When is the best time to plant strawberries?
In regions with cold winters, sowing outdoors should occur approximately three weeks to a month before the last frost if the soil can be worked in early spring. In regions with a mild climate, strawberry plants can be sown outdoors in spring or autumn. Garden strawberries begin to bloom in May.
Location: Full sun or partial shade for most strawberry varieties, full or partial shade for musk and wild strawberries
Water: Water regularly and allow the plants to dry in between.
Popular strawberry varieties
June-bearing (single-bearing) strawberry varieties:Sonata, Camarosa, Loran, Camino Real, Honeoye, Senga, Korona, Polka, Mieze Schindler
Everbearing strawberry varieties:Ozark Beauty, Ostara, Toscana, Seascape, Calypso, Rapella, Hummi Gento
Multi-bearing varieties (monthly strawberries):Albion, Selva, Monterey, San Andreas, Elvira
Wild strawberries:Alexandria, Waldkönigin, Alpine Yellow, Rosa Perle, Florika, Cocoserdbeere
Musk strawberry:Capron, Perfumed of Tortona, Marie Charlotte
Most plants prefer well-drained (even sandy), slightly acidic to neutral soil. If your soil is alkaline, growing strawberries can be done in raised rows or raised beds. Or consider using pots.
Prepare the soil and incorporate fertilizer. Create small mounds to raise the plants slightly and hollows between rows.
Depending on the variety, the young plants are planted at intervals of approx. 20 – 30 cm. For large-fruited plants, the distance should be greater. The row spacing is ideally 50 to 60 meters.
Leave the base of the shoot, called the heart, slightly above the ground. It must not be covered with soil, otherwise it will rot. Only completely cover the roots with soil. If severe frost is expected, protect theCrops with straw mulch or foil cover.
If you plant strawberries in a container or raised bed, they should be at least 20 cm deep. Hanging hanging baskets should have a depth of at least 30 cm.
What can you plant next to strawberries
Companion plants are especially important if youcreate a permaculturewant. These plants are planted in close proximity and can help improve growing conditions in the bed, attract beneficial pollinators, or control pests.
Strawberries are susceptible to a number of pests. That's why it makes sense to plant them next to neighbors who will keep intruders away. Strawberries return the favor by acting as a useful living mulch, keeping the soil cool and moist. Wondering what to plant next to strawberries? Read on for helpful suggestions.
Good neighbors:Onions, borage, French beans, garlic, lettuce, leeks, radishes, chives, spinach, leeks.
Thymian– Plant thyme around the border of a strawberry bed to keep worms away. Thyme also attracts hoverflies – beneficial insects that prey on soft-bodied pests such as aphids, thrips and caterpillars.
Dill, fennel, coriander, mint and sage– These herbs are excellent companions for strawberries to keep away slugs and other pests. Note that some herbs, especially mint, should always be planted individually in containers as they spread very quickly.
Student flowers– Strawberries and marigolds make a nice team. The distinctive aroma of the sunny flowers discourages pests. Tagetes are believed to repel nematodes (roundworms), which can cause significant damage to strawberry plant roots.
Unfavorable neighbors of strawberries
If If plants have different requirements for water, light and fertilizer, they are unsuitable as neighbors. The towering tomatoes, for example, cast their shadows over the sun-hungry strawberries. Strawberries get along poorly with cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, broad beans, tulips, roses and gladioli.
Proper care for strawberry plants
If growing the plants in rows, till the soil lightly for two to six weeks (two weeks for everbearing and day-neutral varieties; six weeks for June-bearing) to allow the runners to spread. Remove the weeds. During the growing season, you can prevent weed growth with straw or another mulch.
Pluck off the first flowers so the plants can concentrate on growth rather than fruiting. For June-bearing strawberries, you can do this for at least the first two weeks. You can even cut off all the flowers in the first year for better production in later years. You must not remove the wild strawberry flowers.
Keep the soil moist during fruit formation. Cut back runners that spread out of bounds to produce fewer but larger fruits.
Fertilize June-bearing, wild and musk strawberries with a low-nitrogen fertilizer as they begin to grow in spring. After harvesting, it is recommended to fertilize again. For multi-bearing and day-neutral strawberries, fertilize regularly throughout the season.
Harvest:When strawberries are bright red, they are already ripe and ready to eat. To avoid damaging the fruit when harvesting, it is best to always grab the fruit stalk.
Strawberries are subject to a number of pests including aphids, mites and slugs. Strawberry weevils can be a problem in some areas. Birds will be an even bigger problem. Use netting to keep them or other animals away from the developing fruit. They all love strawberries as much as humans do.
Diseases such as late blight, fruit rot, leaf problems, powdery mildew and verticilium wilt can also cause problems in strawberries. However, if you watch closely and remove diseased plants, you should be able to keep the disease at bay.
If you live in a region with a cold climate, cover the plants with straw mulch until late fall. You can reuse the mulch the following spring if a late frost threatens.
Pruning and Rejuvenation:This is the key to a bountiful harvest in June-bearing strawberries. Once fruiting has finished, remove old, weak, or diseased plants, leaving about 6 inches (15 cm) between remaining strawberries. Cut the foliage back about 3 to 10 cm above the base of the shoot. Spread a layer of soil over the plants and add fertilizer.
If your strawberry planting is exhausted, you should create a new bed.
