Want to know how to choose a strawberry plant, what different types there are and some interesting trivia? Included are recipes for strawberry shortcake and fresh strawberry punch.
Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in your garden and you will reap harvest from the plants for years. If weather conditions are favorable, each strawberry plant should produce a yield of one quart of berries.
How to Choose Strawberry Plants
The three types of strawberry plants are Day Neutral, Ever Bearing and June Bearing.
Day Neutral
Day Neutral strawberries produce fruit during the growing season. They will also produce runners. Day Neutral are easy to grow in a small space. However, the strawberries are usually small as well, though sweet and delicious.
Ever Bearing
Ever Bearing strawberries produce at least two and often three crops of berries during the spring, summer and fall. Ever Bearing strawberry plants do not send out many runners and are also a good choice if space is limited.
June Bearing
June Bearing strawberries produce only one large crop a year. They bear fruit only for two or three weeks in the month of June, hence the name. These are the traditional strawberry plants that have been grown by our ancestors. They produce fruit and many runners. They are classified in categories of early, seasonal and late varieties. Strawberries of June Bearers are usually large and sweet with lots of juice.
Where to Plant
Always plant strawberries in an area where they will get at least eight hours of sunlight a day. They need sandy, loam soil that is well drained with a PH of 5.8 to 6.2. Never plant strawberries where eggplant, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes were grown the previous year. This will cause Verticillium Rot.
Choosing and Planting
Always plant strawberries early in the spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to cultivate and the chance of frost is past.
When purchasing check to be certain that plants are certified disease free.
Always chose plants that have light colored roots, large crowns and green leaves free of blight or brown patches.
Add one to two inches of compost or cow or sheep manure to the soil before planting.
Keep your berry patch free of weeds.
Dig the hole deep and wide enough that roots can be spread.
Be sure the crown is level with the soil and that the soil comes only halfway up the crown.