It’s getting a little late in the season for strawberries – so I wanted to make sure I got this article onto the website – happy reading!
Strawberries are a favorite fruit for home gardeners to incorporate into their yards or gardens because they are delicious, easy to grow, and versatile. Whether you are enjoying them fresh, making jam, or using them for a decadent dessert, strawberries are berry delicious!
- Choose the Right Variety
The first step in growing strawberries is determining what type of variety you want to plant. June-bearing, Ever-bearing, and Day-neutral are the three main strawberry varieties.
June-bearers are the most popular. They produce one large crop each season, usually in May or June depending on your growing zone. Ever-bearing varieties may sound like they would produce fruit throughout the growing season, but they do not. Generally, these varieties will produce two crops per season.
Day-neutral varieties yield a large harvest their first year and then continue producing when the temperature is between 35 and 85 degrees. Although they may produce more berries each season, the fruit size of Day-neutral varieties is usually significantly smaller than their June-bearing and Ever-bearing counterparts.
- Seed Or Plant?
The next step in growing strawberries is deciding whether you want to start from seed or start with a strawberry plant. It is much more difficult to grow strawberries from seeds than it is from established plants. If you are a beginner, it may be a good idea to start with plants.
However, if you feel confident enough to plant seeds, be sure to purchase from a reputable company. Most strawberry seeds need to be cold treated to help them germinate. You can fold them into a paper towel, place them in an airtight container like a zip lock bag or plastic container, and place them in the freezer for at least two weeks. They may stay frozen for up to four weeks.
When the seed is removed from the freezer, this alerts the seed that winter is over and it is time to spring to life!
Once the seeds have been removed from the freezer and reach room temperature, it is time to prepare the soil. Use a tray or egg carton and scoop three parts, Pete, to one part of soil into each pocket. Each pile of soil should be about 1” or 1 ½” thick.
Sprinkle the seeds over the rich mixture and cover them with a light dusting of moss. Be sure not to cover them completely – the seed needs to be exposed to some sunlight. If you are starting the seeds indoors, make sure the seeds are near a window that gets plenty of sun m, preferably from the west or south.
You also want to keep the soil from getting too cool. If house temperatures drop below 60 degrees, try placing a heating pad under the seat tray. As long as the seeds get plenty of sunlight and stay warm and moist, they should germinate and 14 to 21 days. When the seedlings are between 1” and 2” tall and grow the third leaf, gently transfer them into the well-drained pot.
If you started your seedlings indoors, they will need to adjust to the outdoor elements before being planted into the ground. Do this by setting the plans outside for a few hours each day.
- Planting time!
When it is time to plant the strawberry plants outside, choose a site that gets several hours of direct sunlight each day. You also want to make sure they are positioned away from large trees so that the expansive root systems do not whisk away nutrients from the berry plants.
While strawberries can grow in a variety of soils, they prefer deep, sandy loam that is boosted with plenty of organic compost and some peat moss. If you are using containers for your strawberries, potting soils already have a good mix of nutrients added but it never hurts to add a layer of compost. Space the plants 12” to 18” apart to allow for good root expansion and cross-pollination.
Strawberry Trivia Fun Facts:
- Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
- The average strawberry has 200 seeds
- Strawberries are low fat, low calorie; high in vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium
- Strawberries, as part of a 5 a day fruit & vegetable program, can help reduce the risk of cancer & heart attacks
- Americans eat 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries each year plus another 1.8 pounds frozen per capita
- Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring
- There is a museum in Belgium just for strawberries
- Strawberries are a member of the rose family
- In medieval times, strawberries were served at important functions to bring peace & prosperity.
- Folk lore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love
- Birds are responsible for distributing strawberry seeds everywhere.
- Strawberries are indigenous to every continent except New Zealand, Australia, and Africa.
- Not every single flower will produce a strawberry.
- A strawberry will not ripen once it is picked.
- Strawberries do not grow from seeds. Instead, they reproduce with long shoots of new growth.
- California produces over one billion berries annually. Laying them side-by-side would allow them to circle the earth several times.
Trivia thanks to the Mattituck Lions Annual Strawberry Festival
Authors: Rachel Green & Heather Wentworth