How To Grow Strawberries

Strawberries are a wonderful summer treat, especially if they're picked right out of the garden.

These plants are widely adapted and they can even be grown as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska.

There are 3 types of strawberries that are planted today. June-bearing, which give you the largest crop and they give it early in the summer all at once, and then there are the ever bearers and the day-neutral cultivars, which will give you multiple smaller crops. If you want all your strawberries to ripen at once for preserving, plant the June-bearers.

If you want a continuous supply of fresh strawberries, plant the ever bearers. And, to have the best of both worlds, plant some of each!

Strawberries need at least 8 hours of full sun. If not, they'll get a lot of leaves, but not a lot of berries. And they like soil that's sandy and loamy.

A couple of days before planting, amend the soil with a good organic compost, and some high-phosphorus fertilizer.

There are two different ways to plant strawberries, depending on the type. The ever bearers are planted in what we call the "hill system." If you're not planting in a raised bed, you're gonna create your own little, raised bed of soil by building a little hill.

_{A hill system bed should consist of 2 - 3 rows of plants placed a foot apart, planted in a 3 - 4 foot wide hill Image credit}

I'm planting ever bearers in my raised bed using the hill method, and the first thing I'm gonna do is put down the irrigation, which is drip tape.

_{Example of a strawberry bed in a hill system Image credit}

I'm gonna put down some landscape fabric to prevent weeds. Cut X-shaped holes every 12 inches.

We're gonna plant it straight down until the soil level reaches right here at the middle of the crown. If the crown is planted too low, the plants will rot, and too high the plant will dry out. Just right and you'll have a thriving strawberry plant.

_{Planting depth is very important to get your strawberries to thrive Image credit}

The easiest way is to stick your spade in, make some room, and put the plant in the hole. Water immediately to avoid transplant shock. You can also add a little bit of kelp to the water.

When your plant starts to grow this spring, snip off any runners to encourage a large plant.

Make sure and snip off the first bloom of the first year after you plant and that will also help your plant establish itself.

June-bearers are planted in what we call a "matted row system." That's where we plant the strawberries in a row, and then they send runners out and root themselves and make a new plant.

_{To plant a new matted row system, plant the strawberries in rows that are 4 feet apart and leave 2 feet between plants Image credit}

In a matted row, we're gonna use the plant's runners to fill in the empty spaces. As you observe your plant growing, you'll see the runners begin to form, and you want to position the runners as they come off the plant so that they root in with at least 6 inch spacing. You can use hair pins or soil to position them.

_{Matted row of strawberries Image credit}

Make sure your plants don't get too crowded, because it encourages diseases like powdery mildew. Pick off all the blossoms of your June-bearing strawberry plant the first year, and you'll forfeit the first year strawberries.

However, the second year you'll have an abundance of fruit. You may want to contact your local Master Gardeners or county Ag. Department to find out what cultivar works the best in your area.

You want to keep your beds weed-free, and rice straw or straw mulch is a good option for that.

Strawberries can be grown in hanging baskets very easily. Use a good soil and be sure to water it often. Remember, strawberries like lots of sun and a hanging basket in the sun will need to be watered more often to prevent it from drying out.

Image credit

Strawberries can also be grow hydroponically and vertically making it an idea plant for growing in small spaces and in cities.

Strawberry towers are a very popular system for commercial production as many plants can fit in a small footprint which also makes it ideal for growing in a small backyard or patio.

_{Strawberry tower grown hydroponically Image credit}

Strawberries are a very profitable crop to grow for farmers markets once the plants are established and you can usually sell everything you grow. Any strawberries not sold can be turned into jams and jellies so there's no waste at all really.

Image credit

How To Keep Berries Fresh

Once you bring your fresh berries home, the key to keeping it fresh is to kill any spores on the fruit. The pH of vinegar does that job.

Place the berries in a large bowl and wash them in a vinegar-water bath: 1 cup of white vinegar and 8 cups of water.

Let the berries sit in the vinegar-water bath, gently moving them to help dislodge any dirt, grime and letting the vinegar kill spores and bacteria.

Drain the berries in a colander and then thoroughly rinse the fruit (to remove any vinegar flavor).

Thicker skinned fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) can be dried in a salad spinner but delicate berries such as raspberries and blackberries should be dried on a towel, patting them with paper or cloth towels.

Store the washed and dried fruit in a sealed container that has been lined with paper towels — if using an air-tight container, leave the lid slightly open to avoid natural moisture build-up. When I handle fruit I have purchased from my grocery store, I wash the original container and then re-use it, making sure to line it with paper towels. credit

Here are some handy healthy tips to incorporate more of this super food into your diet:

• Dice strawberries and add them to your chicken salad.

• Make your own fruit cocktail with fresh fruit and include grapes, pineapple, sliced peaches, and strawberries. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top of the fruit mixture for an extra sweet treat.

• Slice strawberries and add them to plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of agave nectar and sliced almonds.

• Top whole grain waffles, pancakes, or oatmeal with fresh strawberries, or fold them into muffins and sweet breads.

• You can also blend strawberries in a food processor with a little water and use as a fresh syrup to top desserts or breakfast foods.

• Mix them into a spinach salad with walnuts and goat cheese.
  Toast a whole grain bagel and top with Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese) and strawberries.

• Throw some frozen strawberries (unsweetened) in a blender with a banana, milk, and ice for a quick and easy strawberry banana smoothie.

The most important thing is enjoy your strawberries this summer, and grow organic for life!

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