1
point
What is the best way to grow strawberries?

Strawberry    FL

Should I start them from seed and transplant to the garden or should I buy some young plants from a nursery? Does either way produce a better result in terms of the quality of the fruit? Thanks


Posted by: Jill (2 points) Jill
Posted: February 12, 2013




Answers

3
points
It is generally considered to be more difficult to start strawberry plants from seed than it is to work with young plants but that is not to say that sowing from seed is very difficult. If you are a beginner then it is reasonable to expect that your yield may be slightly lower if you choose to start from seed but if you are careful and look after your seedlings then there is no reason why you cannot produce some great quality fruit. Regardless of which route you choose, the first step is to decide on a variety that is suitable for where you intend to plant. Strawberries generally fall into the following types: June-bearing, evergreen or day-neutral. June-bearing plants commonly produce large fruits and, as their name suggests, will produce a crop of fruit over a 2-3 week period around June. Everbearing strawberry varieties produce two (and sometimes 3) crops of fruit per year in spring and late summer or early fall. Day-neutral strawberry varieties will give you fruit in the first year, generally produce smaller fruits but will produce whenever the temperature is between 35-85 F.

Starting from seed
Depending on the variety of strawberry you have chosen, it may be necessary to cold treat your seeds before germination. This can be achieved by simply placing them in the freezer for 2-4 weeks before sowing. Strawberry seeds should be sown in trays containing a good quality potting medium (see https://www.plantvillage.com/posts/84). The seeds should be sown to a depth of approximately 0.25 in and should germinate in 2-3 weeks. Be sure to keep the seeds moist. After germination, thin 1-2 in tall seedlings if they are too close together and replant when they have 3 leaves. You can choose to replant in pots or in the garden, but if planting outside be sure to harden the seedlings off before you put them in the ground.

Planting
Strawberries are most commonly planted in the garden but can also be grown in containers on patios or balconies too. You should choose to plant in an area that receives full sun and also in an area where Verticillium-prone plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers or melons have not been grown over the preceding 4-5 years as strawberries are very susceptible to the disease and spores may still be present in the soil. For information on soil and plant spacings see https://www.plantvillage.com/topics/s....


Posted by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points) Lindsay McMenemy
Posted: February 13, 2013




2
points
Either method will not affect your fruit quality. The advantage you get from starting from seed is you may get access to varieties of strawberries that your garden center is unlikely to carry, like the tiny but yummy Alpine Strawberry - http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/... . However, you will get fruit much faster if you buy starts at the store. And you are not going to find a variety that is not delicious. It is a strawberry after all.


Posted by: Amie Frisch (16 points) Amie Frisch
Posted: February 13, 2013




1
point
Once your strawberries are in the ground and starting to bloom, cover the soil around them with mulch. This way you prevent the plant from making offshoots so that it will instead invest that energy into fruit!


Posted by: Rahel Salathé (13 points) Rahel Salathé
Posted: February 13, 2013




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