strawberry

Strawberries may seem like annuals when they wither in the winter. But in most regions they’re grown as perennials and send out vigorous green shoots every spring. These bright red berries are delicious fresh, baked, or preserved in jams.

VarietiEs

June Bearing Strawberries produce one large crop in the spring. Day Neutral Strawberries produce smaller quantities of fruit throughout the spring and summer, no matter how much daylight they get. Everbearing Strawberries yield two or three crops of berries during the growing season.

WHERE STRAWBERRIES THRIVE

Regional compatibility

Strawberries thrive in almost every climate, although where temperatures drop below 20 degrees it can be hard to grow them as perennials.

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Optimal sOIL & sun

Well-drained, sandy soil is best. Strawberries love the sun, so give them sun.

RESILIENCE

Strawberries need rain or regular watering. Optimal fruit- ripening temperature is somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees.

PLANTING

FROM Cuttings

Strawberry plants are easy to grow from runners, the baby plants that spiral out from the main plant. If you have a friend with a strawberry patch, ask for some runners, which usually appear in the fall. Snip off these small plants and place them leaf side up on the soil, 20 inches apart. Press them firmly into the soil so they won’t blow away, and they’ll root on their own. If you live in a northern climate, keep them inside in pots for the winter. Come spring, they’ll be ready to set outside. In warm southern climates, all runners will need to survive the winter is a layer of mulch. They’ll grow into adult plants the following spring.

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Best time of year to plant

Plant in the spring if you have harsh winters. If you have mild, frost-free winters, plant in the late fall.

COMPANION PLANTS

Strawberry plants get along with just about every other plant in the garden, so take advantage of it. Plant strawberries near garlic and chive to deter pests put off by their odor. Plant near thyme to ward off worms, and near spinach to enhance productivity. Here’s another tip: Plant your berries among leafy plants, like lettuce, and hide the ripening fruit from hungry birds.

Growing

Strawberries burst out of the ground in the spring and bear fruit one or two months after flowering. To grow strawberries as perennials, cover them with mulch in the fall to insulate them from the cold. If all goes well, your plants will send out fresh runners the following spring. Mother plants stop bearing fruit after four growing seasons so I always clip a few runners to replant each year.

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WATERING

Give your berries one or two inches of water a week, especially during the growing season. Avoid too much water right before a harvest – this can water down the flavor of the fruit.

Weeding & MULCHING

Clear your patch each spring to keep it from getting over-grown. I use straw mulch to curb the weeds and cool the soil. Straw also prevents the berries from touching the ground and becoming snacks for bugs.

Fertilizing

These plants need nitrogen and phosphorus to produce prolific leaves and fruits. Help your plants thrive by adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer like blood meal or a phosphorus-rich fertilizer like bone meal in the spring.

CHALLENGES

Their bright colors and soft flesh make strawberries an easy target for all kinds of critters. This may sound nuts, but I use berry decoys to distract birds: I paint rocks to look like strawberries and set them out. Curious birds will learn your fake berries are hard and unpalatable, and may leave your fruit alone – or that’s the idea anyway!

pests & DISEASE

This low-lying perennial is susceptible to slugs. Deter these slimy intruders by scattering broken eggshells around your plant or making a ringed barrier of diatomaceous earth (DE). The tarnished plant bug, a small flat insect with wings, can also be a problem. Pick off any you see or spray them with an insecticidal soap. The most formidable enemy for strawberry plants is the bud weevil. This insect has a long snout it uses to pierce new buds, preventing fruit from form- ing. Get rid of them by cutting off any infected buds you see.

Root rots are common afflictions for strawberry plants. Minimize the risk of rot by picking a well-drained site, and don’t over-water. Fruit rot, which appears as a gray fluffy mold, can affect fruits that touch dead leaves or the ground. Keep berries off the ground with mulch and make sure they stay clear of dead leaves.

Harvest

Harvest strawberries when they’re bright red by snapping or cutting the stems. If you notice white areas around the berry, rotate the fruit on the stem so the pale side faces the sun and fully ripens. I check my patch daily once the berries start to redden so I can snatch up the ripe ones before the birds and bugs get them.

STORE

Eating a sun-warmed strawberry fresh from the garden never gets old. And that really is the best way to enjoy them because they lose flavor rapidly. If you do have to store them, place unwashed berries in a shallow, breathable container lined with paper towels. Refrigerated berries should last a couple of days. Don’t stack many berries on top of each other or you’ll end up with a mushy mess.