How to Grow Strawberries
Determine what variety of strawberry plant fits best with your needs., Find the plants., Always inspect your potential plants for disease or signs of poor health., Decide where to grow your strawberries.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine what variety of strawberry plant fits best with your needs.
There are two basic types of strawberry plants, namely summer producing strawberries and perpetual (ever-bearing) strawberries.
Summer producing strawberries can be broken down into early, mid and late summer plants.
There are many varieties within each grouping of strawberries and some are likely to be very localized, so ask your local garden center for more specific advice.
Very generally, some of the varieties are as follows:
Ever-bearing or perpetual strawberry plant:
This is the most popular of the strawberries because it keeps on growing for a good five or so years.
It produces a fair amount fruit throughout the year (outdoors in temperate climates, in an indoor container for colder areas).
Both of these features make it a good choice if you are looking for a continuous supply.
June fruiting bearing variety:
This plant will provide you with one large supply of strawberries in early to mid summer, depending on planting time (summer crops will produce fruit about two months after planting).
Purchase this variety if you're looking to cook with and/or freeze your harvest.
Day neutral strawberry plants:
These are similar to ever-bearing but will produce much smaller numbers of strawberries throughout the year.
This is an ideal variety if you're looking to eat strawberries fresh out of the ground.
Alpine strawberries:
This strawberry plant is a very small types of strawberry.
The fruit may be small but it's packed with flavor, making these strawberries ideal for jam makers. -
Step 2: Find the plants.
Most garden centers will stock strawberry plants but if you want a specific variety, you might need to check online or ask for specific stock to be ordered in.
It is always helpful to get the advice of the local garden center as to what type of strawberry grows best in your local conditions.
It is best to buy strawberry plants at the exact time you intend to plant them into the ground or container.
Leaving them for too long in their store-bought pots can cause them to become root-bound, unhealthy and lacking in enough vigor to grow well when replanted. , Your strawberry plants should have vibrant green leaves and are free from spots, brown edges, or wilted ends.
The roots should be plentiful and very light in color.
Consider purchasing disease-resistant strawberry plants.
Though this option is generally more expensive, these plants are well-known for withstanding the numerous types of fungal diseases that strawberry plants are susceptible to. , Strawberries are happy in both garden beds or containers, provided you give them what they need by way of soil and fertilizer.
It's up to you, take into consideration the space you have available and the temperatures in your location.
For example, if you want to grow strawberries all year round in a cold climate, consider growing them in a container that can be easily moved indoors and outdoors during the different seasons.
Strawberries grow well in all but the most tropical of climates. -
Step 3: Always inspect your potential plants for disease or signs of poor health.
-
Step 4: Decide where to grow your strawberries.
Detailed Guide
There are two basic types of strawberry plants, namely summer producing strawberries and perpetual (ever-bearing) strawberries.
Summer producing strawberries can be broken down into early, mid and late summer plants.
There are many varieties within each grouping of strawberries and some are likely to be very localized, so ask your local garden center for more specific advice.
Very generally, some of the varieties are as follows:
Ever-bearing or perpetual strawberry plant:
This is the most popular of the strawberries because it keeps on growing for a good five or so years.
It produces a fair amount fruit throughout the year (outdoors in temperate climates, in an indoor container for colder areas).
Both of these features make it a good choice if you are looking for a continuous supply.
June fruiting bearing variety:
This plant will provide you with one large supply of strawberries in early to mid summer, depending on planting time (summer crops will produce fruit about two months after planting).
Purchase this variety if you're looking to cook with and/or freeze your harvest.
Day neutral strawberry plants:
These are similar to ever-bearing but will produce much smaller numbers of strawberries throughout the year.
This is an ideal variety if you're looking to eat strawberries fresh out of the ground.
Alpine strawberries:
This strawberry plant is a very small types of strawberry.
The fruit may be small but it's packed with flavor, making these strawberries ideal for jam makers.
Most garden centers will stock strawberry plants but if you want a specific variety, you might need to check online or ask for specific stock to be ordered in.
It is always helpful to get the advice of the local garden center as to what type of strawberry grows best in your local conditions.
It is best to buy strawberry plants at the exact time you intend to plant them into the ground or container.
Leaving them for too long in their store-bought pots can cause them to become root-bound, unhealthy and lacking in enough vigor to grow well when replanted. , Your strawberry plants should have vibrant green leaves and are free from spots, brown edges, or wilted ends.
The roots should be plentiful and very light in color.
Consider purchasing disease-resistant strawberry plants.
Though this option is generally more expensive, these plants are well-known for withstanding the numerous types of fungal diseases that strawberry plants are susceptible to. , Strawberries are happy in both garden beds or containers, provided you give them what they need by way of soil and fertilizer.
It's up to you, take into consideration the space you have available and the temperatures in your location.
For example, if you want to grow strawberries all year round in a cold climate, consider growing them in a container that can be easily moved indoors and outdoors during the different seasons.
Strawberries grow well in all but the most tropical of climates.
About the Author
Helen Griffin
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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