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Strawberries > Growing Strawberries

Growing Strawberries

Strawberries are one of the most common garden crops in North America: they're easy to grow and produce
berries for years, with good plants producing about one quart.

Strawberry Plant Types

First of all, you should decide which type of strawberry plant you want to grow. They basically come in three
varieties:

• June Bearing: this strawberry plant is the most common, producing one large crop per year, during a 2-
3 week period in spring. June bearers produce lots of runners and flowers, and are subdivided into early,
mid-season and late varieties. The fruits they produce are usually the largest of the three types
• Everbearing: these plants do not send out many runners, but they produce two or three intermittent
crops during the fall, spring and summer. Their berries are generally smaller than june bearing
• Day Neutral: these plants are similar to the everbearing variety, in that they produce small berries,
albeit throughout the growing season (and not intermittently).

You should choose june bearing plants if you have ample space for them, while everbearing and day neutral
types are best for growing strawberries indoors.

Planting Strawberry Plants

You should bear in mind that strawberries need a lot of sun, so they should be exposed to sunlight for at least
six hours per day. They prefer a slightly acidic soil, with a pH from 5.8 to 6.3. A well drained, sandy loam is the
ideal setting.

Please be aware that certain plants such as eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes carry a dangerous
Verticillium that can cause your strawberry plant to rot, so you should plant it far from the aforementioned
vegetables.

A good time to plant is around late fall, early spring: make sure that the soil is dry enough.

Success depends on many factors, but the most important are making sure that your plant is disease free (it
should be certified as such) and choosing a plant with light-colored, healthy roots and large crowns.
It should be planted in a hole large enough to spread the roots, with a hilled center, and the crown placed at soil
level: the roots should be spread down the central hill, and the plant should be buried only halfway up the
crown.

Using organic matter (about 1 to 2 inches) ensures enough nutrients and is highly recommended.

Matted row system

Strawberries in a matted row system - recommended for June bearing varieties

As a general rule, the matted row system is good for plants sending out lots of runners (e.g. june bearing
strawberries).

Plants should be set 18 inches apart in rows of 24 inches, with 4 - 4 1/2 feet between rows.

Shortly after planting, you should start to see flower buds and leaves: flowers should be pinched off for the first
year (in june bearing varieties); this will allow for a healthier plant and more runners, and will ensure a larger
crop, for more years, in the following cycles.

Everbearing and day neutral varieties' flowers should be pinched off only until July 1st.

When you start seeing runners from the crown, train them along the row and space them 6 to 9 inches apart,
pressing them gently into the soil and keeping them there with a light weight or an inch of soil until their roots
have grown; severing runners from the mother plant is not recommended.

Hill System

The hill system is recommended for varieties that produce few runners, namely everbearing and day neutral.

This system consists of a raised bed 2 feet wide and 7 inches high, with plants in staggered double rows, 13
inches apart.

If you want a higher crop production and a healthier plant, you should sacrifice runners and flowers until the
beginning of july in the first year; you can then let them produce at will.

Please be aware that these plants should be replaced every 3 to 4 years, since multiple harvests tend to
significantly slow down their production after this period.

Mulching Strawberries
Mulching is recommended to keep the soil cool and moist, and to prevent weeds from stealing valuable
nutrients from your plant. A good option is the traditional straw, and you should avoid any material that causes
the soil to heat (such as dark plastic) since this will hamper fruit production.

If you live in a cold climate, it is advisable to mulch over the strawberry plant to prevent the crowns from
frosting, starting when the temperature drops to 18-19 F degrees. Again, straw is recommended, as are pine
needles and any kind of mulch that can be easily removed in spring.

Watering and Fertilizing

Your strawberry plant should be watered with about 1-2 inches of water, per week. You should take care
especially from the early bloom to the end of harvest, since this is the time when fruit is forming and its water
needs are higher.

If you began with organic soil as suggested, you have the beginning part covered: you should follow it up with a
10-10-10 balanced fertilizer (about 1 lb per 100 square feet) when planting, and again after the second harvest
of everbearing and day neutrals (or after renovation of June bearers).

More is not necessarily better with fertilizers: too much will improve leaf growth at the expense of flowers (and
fruit); fertilizing in the cold season is also not recommended since new growth will probably frost and reduce
the plant's yield.

Harvesting your Strawberries

Fruit should be handled with care, as it is easily crushed: you should cut the stems and not pull on the fruit
itself.

A good indicator of the ripeness is a deep-red color, but this depends on the species and the only failsafe
method is a taste test.

Renovating the June bearing bed

Strawberry plants should be changed after about 3-4 years, since their yield tends to drop afterwards: a good
renovation regimen will prolong their life to five years.

Renovation consists of mowing the plants to about 2-3 inches in height, taking care not to damage the crowns; it
should be followed with a 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 5lbs per 100 linear feet of row, mulching as needed.

The width of the mat rows should be reduced to 18 inches by removing one side and leaving the young plants,
which should be thinned to about 8 inches apart.

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Strawberries as Food

• Strawberry Nutrition Facts

• How to Select and Store Strawberries
• Health Benefits of Strawberries
• Strawberry Allergy

Strawberry Plant
 • History of Strawberries
• Growing Strawberries
• Strawberry Plant Varieties
• Facts and Trivia about Strawberries

Strawberries as Food

• Strawberry Nutrition Facts

• How to Select and Store Strawberries
• Health Benefits of Strawberries
• Strawberry Allergy

Strawberry Plant

• History of Strawberries
• Growing Strawberries
• Strawberry Plant Varieties
• Facts and Trivia about Strawberries

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