{"id":2345,"date":"2019-06-06T09:37:55","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T09:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2345"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:06:47","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:06:47","slug":"14-gardener-tips-on-how-to-care-for-strawberries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-gardener-tips-on-how-to-care-for-strawberries\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Gardener Tips on How to Care for Strawberries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Strawberries are one of the most popular types of berries which can be found in gardens throughout the world, and there are a thousand possible uses for it. From strawberry shortcake through to strawberry jams and preserves, there\u2019s a lot to be gained from the plant\u2019s harvest \u2013 including a long list of health benefits owing to the fact that they\u2019re much higher in vitamins and minerals compared to fruits that are twice their size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What could be better than picking strawberries out of your very own garden throughout the year? Any gardener knows that few things are as satisfying as literally picking the fruit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberries grow happily in most climates under the right conditions, and they\u2019re one of the easiest berry plants to cultivate if you\u2019ve never worked with this particular plant type before <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 8 great gardener tips on how to care for strawberries from planting through to harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Understand Your Type<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first step to planting strawberries in your garden for the first time is to find the right type of strawberry for your needs \u2013 and most people are surprised to find out that all strawberry types aren\u2019t quite alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, did you know that there\u2019s a specific variety of strawberry which ends up white instead of the usual berry pinks and reds you\u2019d expect? A lot of gardeners didn\u2019t! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Establishing what type of strawberry you have can save you a lot of surprises later on when it comes to the harvesting phase and you aren\u2019t sure what\u2019s come up: Yes, it happens even to more advanced gardeners sometimes, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you harvested the seeds from another plant, it should give you a better idea of what to expect. From anything else, a simple online search can tell you more about the type you have before you grow it \u2013 and luckily, all<\/em> strawberry types grow happily under more or less the same conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Watering Right<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Watering is one of the most essential parts of getting initial plant growth started no matter what you might be planting, and the watering phase is also what inspires new plant growth from there. Berries are one of the juiciest fruits out there, and this should already be an indication for newer gardeners that they are going to require a bit more water than some of their counterparts \u2013 but this doesn\u2019t mean you should overwater them, either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberries should ideally be given water up to twice per week, with adjustments to either more or less frequent depending on factors like the climate you\u2019re growing them in as well as the type of soil they\u2019ve been planted in. Rainy climates means less water, hotter climates means more \u2013 but never water during the hotter parts of the day or you risk burning the plant with a \u201cmagnifying glass\u201d effect which can cause a lot of damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Understanding Nutrients<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All plants in the garden are going to need water, and all of the plants in the garden are going to need nutrients \u2013 and the idea of giving nutrients directly to your plants can be one of the most confusing things for first-time gardeners to learn. When do you do this, and just how much \u2013 and with so many options available on the market, what do you choose? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant nutrients aren\u2019t nearly as complicated as first-time gardeners would imagine, and most of what you\u2019ll ever need to know about them can be found on the back of the box when you purchase them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enrich the soil (or sometimes water) with the appropriate plant nutrients if you notice any nutrient-related issues with your plants, which can include the discoloration of leaves or stunted growth when it\u2019s almost time to harvest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually plant nutrients should be diluted for use: Even more knowledgeable gardeners should always double-check the instructions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Potted or Not<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Strawberries are one of the types of berry plants that you don\u2019t need to provide a structure for; certain types of blackberries, for example, will prefer to trail along a structure like a trellis for their growth \u2013 or at least prefer to be lifted a little off the ground to attach to whatever structure you give them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberries on the other hand will grow quite happily in pots or directly in the ground, and they can even be transplanted from pots into the ground if you\u2019ve used pots to start their growth phase but have your garden a little better planned out later on in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to grow strawberries in pots, ensure that there\u2019s enough space for the plant to thrive \u2013 sure, it\u2019s small now, but it will<\/em> increase in size and a too-small pot can choke root growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, ensure the pot has access to enough sunlight (up to six hours), and that water is able to drain through the soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Dealing with Pest Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The potential of pest problems in the garden presents for one of the biggest fears for especially first-time gardeners, but it\u2019s true that the problem is often much overexaggerated as worse than it will actually be \u2013 and this can lead novice gardeners to make the mistake of treating their garden (and their strawberry plants) with a range of potentially toxic pesticides when it wasn\u2019t necessary to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forwarding off pests in the most natural of ways, make a tea from either coffee or tobacco (some say both!) and use this as an anti-bug spray for your garden. It has the potential to keep most pests away that will affect (or eat) strawberry plants without having any negative effects on your health or the health of your plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If pests do get out of hand, repeat the appropriate treatment more frequently and where necessary, create a barrier around the plants for larger critters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Sunlight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sunlight is an essential factor for happy and healthy plants, and this is something that almost everyone knows about gardening from the time they\u2019re children \u2013 but once you start gardening, you realize that it\u2019s a little more complicated than just plants needing sunlight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only do plants need sunlight in order to thrive, it\u2019s the gardener\u2019s responsibility to ensure they get access to the right amount of sunlight at the same time. Too little sun is an outright killer for a strawberry plant, especially due to the fact that they don\u2019t like cold and that one morning of frost can destroy an arrangement of strawberries \u2013 but too much sun can also be just as damaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, strawberries prefer to have access to at least six hours of direct sunlight. If your plants start to look wilted or slow down in growth, either adjust nutrients or take another look at how much fun they\u2019re getting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Harvesting and Storing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The actual harvesting phase is one of the best things for a gardener, and it\u2019s one of the times where it feels like all of the hard work paid off \u2013 and of course, having strawberries from your own garden comes as a great bonus for taking good care of your plants throughout the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you become a more advanced gardener, harvesting time can be estimated just by looking at the plant \u2013 and otherwise, knowing when to harvest strawberries is down to taking a look at the progress of the fruit on the plant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberries that are white (and not that specific variety) are still maturing \u2013 and yes, they taste terrible; strawberries that are too firm can be left for a bit longer. Strawberries that have gone soft on the plant have been left for too long, although they can (sometimes) still become preserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When storing strawberries, they\u2019re best stored in the fridge, but can often be frozen too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice that the strawberries coming off the plant are far more sour than they should be even though the time for the harvest should have been right, adjust your nutrient levels and add magnesium salts (also called Epsom salts) to the water before watering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Pruning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gardening is about far more than just getting the plants in the ground under the right circumstances and watching them grow from there; successful gardening requires a more hands-on approach, and the difference between a good gardener and a great gardener is how they\u2019re able to keep the plant growth going. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A happy strawberry plant can provide you with many bountiful harvests for years to come, and it\u2019s the truth that happier plants will produce larger tastier harvests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to play six hours of Bach to your strawberry plants in order to get them to thrive, but you can prune them at the right times to ensure that essential energy goes to the right places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a rule for strawberry plants, don\u2019t cut too short to the plant \u2013 and stick to trimming what\u2019s already dying off the plant instead of cutting off any healthy growth. Sharp shears will prevent damaging the stalks (or your hands) \u2013 and ideally, wear gloves for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. The Importance of Crop Rotation
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After pulling your last strawberries during harvest time, it’s essential to start preparing for the next growing season. Strawberries and raspberries are at risk of developing numerous infections from different pathogens in the soil. These diseases cause dysfunction in the fruiting phase, resulting in dry or discolored strawberries.
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It’s for this reason that you need to till and fertilize the soil in your garden before the winter season starts. By cultivating and feeding, you give the ground a chance to rest and remineralize for next year. The tilling process also disperses the pathogens, causing them to die off over the winter.
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Strawberries draw plenty of nutrients from the ground, and it’s vital that you don’t plant them in the same spot as the previous season. Instead, rotate your crops around the growing space, leaving a quarter of your garden unplanted. This strategy lets you continually switch your plants season after season, without any issues of malnutrition occurring in the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Plant Early and Use a Vertical Garden
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Growers recommend that you plant your strawberries at the end of June, three weeks after the last frosts hit the ground. However, you can get a head start on the season by cultivating your strawberries indoors using a vertical garden.
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Take a large container, like an old plastic trash can, and cut out holes in the side using a hole saw. Fill the vertical garden with light, airy substrates that lock in moisture while allowing for optimal airflow around the roots. Plant your strawberries in the holes, and leave your vertical garden in a warm room in your home.
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Using this method, you can get a head start on the season, and move the vertical garden outdoors when the weather permits. By the time June rolls around, you’ll be ready for the fruiting phase, and you might have enough time to get a second crop before the season ends in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11. Spacing Issues
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Strawberries are a claustrophobic fruit, and we recommend that you give them enough room to breathe. If the plants don’t get enough air, it may delay the fruiting cycle, resulting in premature or dry strawberries that you’ll have to throw away.
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We recommend that you plant your strawberries to a depth of at least 12-inches, and give your rows 15 to 18-inches of space between plants for best results. This spacing strategy goes for your vertical garden as well, make sure you drill the holes in your container using the same spacing requirements as if you were planting outdoors.
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Strawberries have a reasonably large root structure for such a small plant, and the roots like to span out across and away from the plant, staying a few inches below the surface. Therefore, if you plant your strawberries too close together, the roots may entangle, resulting in root-bound plants that do not fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Soil Drainage and pH
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While strawberries do need plenty of water to grow a robust root system and bear fruit, they don’t like getting “wet feet.” This condition that describes waterlogging of the roots of the plant, which can end up causing root rot, killing the plant before it has the chance to bear fruit. Therefore, it’s critical that you ensure you plant your strawberries in soil that has excellent drainage.
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Try planting your strawberries in small mounds instead of directly into the ground. This strategy allows the roots to remain high and dry, reducing the chances of developing root rot.
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When it comes to the optimal pH balance for growing strawberries, we recommend that you go with slightly acidic soil. The berries do well in light, loamy soil, featuring a pH of between 5.5 to 6.5. If your pH values are too alkaline, it may result in white, dry strawberries at harvest time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. Pick the Flowers
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Towards the start of the fruiting cycle, your strawberry plants may start to yield flowers. Strawberry flowers look very similar to daisies, with white petals and yellow bee. In some strawberry varieties, the flowers can turn pink or reddish in color as well, depending on the type of strawberries growing in your garden.
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The flowers serve the reproductive needs of the plant, and if you leave the flowers, pollinators will visit your garden and collect from the strawberry bushes. However, it’s critical to note that the flowering cycle of the p0lant takes plenty of energy away from fruit production, resulting in undersized or dry strawberries.
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Therefore, we recommend that you pick any visible flowers in bloom when checking on your garden. It’s best to check in on your strawberries when watering every other day. Using this strategy also helps you discover any pests or diseases on the plants as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Beware of GMO Seeds
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Strawberries are a succulent fruit, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Bite into a juicy, organic strawberry, and the flavor of the fruit will make your taste buds dance in delight. However, it’s vital that you use your best judgment when buying seeds. If you spend some time browsing the sites of seed banks, you’ll notice that there are plenty of exotic strawberry varieties.
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Blue, purple, pink, white, and orange strawberries are readily available online from seed banks. The thought of growing purple berries sounds appealing \u2013 can you imagine a strawberry that tastes like a blueberry? While this smorgasbord of color is appealing to the eye, you should ask yourself how the fruit got this color.
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GMO practices allow plant scientists to modify the genes in strawberry plants, changing the color of the fruit. While this may be appealing to the eye, we don’t like the fact that GMO foods could end up in our organic garden. Stick to red strawberries \u2013 nothing beats the taste of the original.
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