Homegrown strawberries taste far better than the hard, rarely ripe, flavorless selection in the supermarket. Strawberries are cold-hardy and adaptable, making them one of the easiest berries to grow. While most fruit trees take several years to begin bearing, you can harvest your own strawberries the very first summer. And even if you live in an apartment or a small home, you can grow strawberries in a container on a balcony, rooftop, patio, or even a doorstep. If your horizontal space is limited, consider growing strawberries in a hanging basket or stacked planter, which will allow you to take advantage of vertical growing space as the strawberry plants tumble out over the sides.
There are two main kinds of strawberries: June-bearing and ever-bearing varieties. June-bearing, bear all at once, usually over a period of about three weeks. Because of their earliness, high quality and concentrated fruit set, June-bearers, like Allstar, produces high yields of very large, sweet, extra juicy berries in late mid-season, which is usually late spring and early summer, depending on your geographic region. These are the best variety for preserving.
Ever-bearing strawberries produce a big crop from spring flowers, set light flushes of fruit through summer, and then bloom and bear again in late summer and fall. Perfect for large containers or raised beds, where you can give them attentive watering and regular feeding.
Bonnie Plants offers a good selection of ever-bearing strawberries including: the EverSweet variety offers large berries ripening in abundance. Savor a long harvest, with fruits ripening from late spring until frost. Quinalt is the most popular variety of ever-bearing strawberry! Large, soft and deliciously sweet fruit, it is ideal for preserves or fresh eating. And new this spring: Tristan, eye-catching edible ornamental shows unusual pink blooms, which fade to form plump, sweet, medium-size strawberries. The harvest stretches all season long, with fruits ripening from late spring until frost.
Tips to ensure strawberry success:
When planting strawberries, be sure the crown is above soil level and the upper most roots are 1/4 inch beneath soil level. Buried crowns rot and exposed roots dry out. Strawberry plants should be placed approximately 14 to 18 inches apart from each other in neat rows that are separated by 2-3 feet each. Let runners fill in until plants are 7-10 inches apart.
Use mulch to keep berries clean, conserve moisture and control weeds.
If you want to keep it simple, plant strawberries in a container. Just remember that container plantings need much more water than in-ground plantings, usually once a day; and if it’s hot, twice. Strawberry pots are the obvious, best container choice for growing strawberries. You can fit several plants in one pot; just make sure whatever type of garden pot you use has good drainage. Strawberries have a relatively small root ball and can be grown in containers as small.
