Every hobby gardener looks forward to delicious strawberries from the raised bed in the garden or the balcony box. If you want to have a rich harvest next year, you should start growing now. August is the right time to plant. There are a few things to consider. We explain how to plant strawberries.
Strawberries are low, perennial plants that belong to the collective nut crops. They are true sun worshipers and thrive bestsunny places in the gardenor on the balcony.
Basically, the planting time begins in late summer and ends in autumn. However, the optimal time to plant the young plants in the ground is early to mid-August. This means that the freshly grown perennials have enough warm days ahead of them to grow well in raised beds or balcony boxes. This is the only way you have a real chance of defying frost, snow and wind in winter.
Don't wait until fall to grow strawberries!
Also very important for next year's yields: the strawberries form their flower buds in late summer and autumn. The more flower buds you have formed, the more fruit you will bear next year. So if you plant your strawberries in early to mid-August, you will be looking forward to a bountiful harvest next year.
There is another reason why planting in August is cheaper than planting in September. When planting, the fine roots of strawberries are often injured. In August the weather is warm and the ground – dry. Two good conditions so that the wounds can close quickly and the plant can recover. In September it rains significantly more often and the weather is also colder. The soil dries much more slowly and fungal diseases spread quickly. The cuts make the strawberriesmore susceptible to pests, bacteria and fungi.
What should you consider when growing in August?
Which soil for strawberries?
An airy, nutrient-rich soil with a pH value in the acidic range (5 to 6) offers the optimal conditions for flower formation. You can also incorporate compost, horn shavings and coarse sand into the soil. The sand can improve drainage and prevent waterlogging.
Planting strawberries: the right distance
If you plant the strawberries in rows, then the minimum distance between the rows should be about 70 cm. Leave 25cm to 30cm between plants in a row.
Planting strawberries to save space: ideas for the balcony
Unlike in the garden, where there is enough space in the raised or vegetable bed, the balcony is a real challenge. In this case, you can grow the strawberries vertically in a tube. You can also attach several longer flower boxes to a balcony wall and grow the young plants there.
Which plants should you grow with strawberries and which crops don't get along?
For now: Strawberries bear most fruit in the first three years. After that, flowering slows down. From the fourth year onwards, you should transplant the strawberries to another raised bed or find another location in the garden. If you care for the strawberries on the balcony, you can simply repot them or replace the soil. However, you should not grow the perennials again at their old location in the garden for the next four years.
Why does a mixed culture with strawberries make sense?
A mixed culture offers many advantages for crops: With the right planting partners, pollinating insects can be attracted and pests can be repelled. The strawberries also have a lot to offer: They push out weeds and their fallen leaves serve as mulch and prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.
Plant strawberries and tomatoes next to each other
Especially in small gardens, it can often happen that tomatoes and strawberries are planted next to each other. Although they don't bring out the best in the other planting partner, they get along well and can, as long as they are planted in the ground at least 30 cm apart.
Strawberries: Good neighbors, bad neighbors
Good planting partners for strawberries:
- Herbs like thyme and borage attract pollinators
- Other crops such as asparagus, beans, peas, spinach, lettuce, garlic, horseradish, rhubarb and onion.
Asparagus and strawberries have completely different root systems, so there is no competition for nutrients in the soil.
Legumes such as beansand peas can limit soil nitrogen levels and improve the soil for strawberries.
- Flowers such as marigolds, borage, lupins and white clover go well with strawberries.
Bad planting partners for strawberries:
- Cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, potatoes, melons, peppers and mint.
