Pot-grown plants are young strawberry plants that are already established and grown a little. You can sometimes get berries the same year as you plant it, although you may need to wait a year for a full harvest. Runners are generally a cheaper option. These are seedlings with long roots that are taken from other strawberry plants. These may take a little longer to grow in your garden and to produce a harvest.
There are several varieties of June-bearing strawberries. These include Earliglow, Seneca, and Allstar. Ask the nursery or your local extension office which type is recommended for your region.
Varieties of everbearing include EverSweet and Ozark Beauty.
Varieties of day-neutral include Tristar and Tribute.
To test the drainage of the soil, dig a 12 by 12 inches (30 cm × 30 cm) hole and fill it with water. The next day, fill it again with water and test how long it takes to drain. Ideally, it should drain about 1–3 inches (2. 5–7. 6 cm) an hour. [6] X Research source Do not plant the strawberries in an area where you have grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplants in the past 4 years, as these may spread fungus to your plants.
If the pH of your soil is wrong, you will need to amend it. If the pH is too low, mix lime or small amounts of dolomitic limestone into the soil. If the pH is too high, add sulfur or peat moss into the soil.
You should be able to easy dig through the soil with a trowel. If the ground is still hard, wait a few weeks. The soil should be dry. If it rains, wait a few days before trying to plant the strawberries.
Only cover the roots with soil. The crown (or thick green stem) should remain above the soil.
This will also make the container less heavy, which will help if you need to move the container.
The label of the potting mix should state its pH.
The crown of the plant should remain above the soil. Only the roots should be under the soil. If you have a large pot or growing container for multiple plants, keep the strawberries about 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) apart.
If you can’t get enough sunlight indoors for your strawberry plant, try putting the plant under a grow light.
For a rough estimate of how much water you need, use about 5 gallons (19 L) of water for every 8 feet (2. 4 m) of strawberry plants.
For June-bearing plants, remove all flowers in the first year to get a harvest the following year. The next year, do not remove the flowers. For day-neutral and everbearing varieties, remove the flowers until the end of June. Allow flowers to grow afterwards for a fall harvest.
Always follow the instructions on the label of the insecticide for proper use. Drape nets over the strawberries to keep birds from eating them.
If you notice any discolored or spotted leaves, pull or cut them off the plant to prevent the spread of disease.
Harvest your fruit as soon as it is ripe; strawberries that sit on top of the soil too long will rot. Remove strawberries that have started to rot from the plant. It is better to throw them out than to leave them on the plant.
