Tips On Growing StrawberriesStrawberries
are a common fruit and are also reliable for home production. It is
easier to manage this type of crop than that of tree fruits, and even a
small garden can yield a good crop of fruit. Even though some
strawberry varieties can be raised from seed, it is more common to buy
plants. When you go to buy plants you want to make sure they are free
from diseases and viruses, so you should purchase them from a reputable
nursery. Registered virus- free plants can yield 50-75 percent more
fruit than ordinary stock plants, and you should not transplant
strawberries out of a old bed because diseases can occur.
Strawberries flourish on sandy
loam soil, but will produce adequately with heavier soils as long as it
is well drained. The bed should be slightly sloped to ensure a good
surface water drainage. Strawberries prefer a slightly acidic soil,
with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5, and should contain adequate organic
matter. Before planting at the beginning of the season, mix the soil
with some garden compost or manure, you can also mix in some green
manure. When you are preparing strawberry plants for planting you
should never allow them to dry out, and to prevent this cover the roots
with moist peat moss and keep them shaded at all times. They will began
to bloom in the spring and can be subjected to frost injury, so you
need to select a site that has good air movement. Try to avoid low-
lying areas that can contain frost pockets and pick slopes that are
facing the sun, because the soil will warm up faster in the spring and
induce early flowering.
The goal during the first summer
of growth after the spring planting is to institute healthy plants as
early in the season as possible. The parent plant will send out runners
in the early summer once it is established, and when this happens you
will need to do frequent shallow cultivation between the rows, by hand
pulling of weeds and mulching 5cm (2in) of straw, hay, or coarse
sawdust in two to three weeks after planting, this will greatly reduce
the number of weeds. You will need a fertilizer that is rich in
potassium, this is added in late summer when the flower buds are
started for the next springs fruit, this will help harden the plants
for the coming winter. The crowns of the plants will need to be
protected during very cold periods in winter, but do not apply mulch
too early in the fall as this can increase crown rot and prevent the
plants from going completely dormant, which will subject them more
easily to winter injury. Some suitable mulches that you can use for
winter protection are coarse sawdust, newspapers, straw, hay, or any
loose mulch that will not compact. Oh and on a final note here, because
strawberries are 90 percent water any moisture stress will during
growth will reduce yield, so always ensure adequate watering while
cropping.
You can harvest the fruit when
the berries are fully ripe, and a good indicator of this is any white
areas that are noticed means a immature (unripened) berry. If you allow
the berry to reach its full color, it will increase its sugar content
and the size of the berry. When you go to pick the berry do so with the
stem and cap attached, this will keep the berry fresher longer because
when the caps are removed or the berry is injured it will go bad
quickly. You should notice the first harvest around thirty days after
the first bloom, and should be checked every other day for ripe fruit
and any bad fruits should be discarded to prevent diseases from
occurring. When you have picked them, place them in shallow containers
to minimize injury and if not used in the same day you should chill
them promptly.
On a final note, to avoid
diseases do not plant in areas that have had tomatoes, peppers,
potatoes, or eggplant before or in a site that has had strawberries
grown in the last two years. To protect the fruit from birds use a fine
mesh netting.
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