Plant Your Own Strawberries

Prepare the planting site
An area with great drainage and a sandy loam type soil is ideal for strawberries. Areas that remain wet in the late spring are areas to avoid. Avoid overly shady areas as well. The ideal place is an area with plenty of sun light on a slight slope.

Make sure not to plant where tomato's, potato's, peppers, or eggplants have been planted previously in at least the past four years as these crops are typical carriers of a root rot fungi which will not react well with strawberries.

If you are planting in an area where grass is or was be sure to use some type of weed or grass spray at least 2 weeks prior to planting strawberries. Planting in grassy areas can lead to issues with white grubs (a turf pest which will feed on roots of strawberries) and weed problems.


Prepare your soil
Depending on the current soil condition, it could take some time to prepare the soil to be suitable for strawberries. Strawberries will strive in soil with a pH of 5.7 to 6.3. If your soil is too acidic you might want to increase your soils pH level by simply applying a bit of limestone to your soil.

Organic matter such as manure is an important step in this process. If weeds are particularly a problem, you will want to spray these weeds and wait roughly two weeks before tilling. Then apply manure as a form of organic matter. Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are an important part in creating fertile ground. Manure and compost contain these elements, however, you can use about 20 pounds of 10-10-10 per 1000 square feet as an alternative.

You could also use a type of fertilizer such as to Fish Emulsion - gallon encourage plant growth and bearing of fruit.

What varieties are out there?
Many varieties of strawberries exist and more are being cross bread every year. There are three main types of strawberries: Everbearing, Day neutral, and June bearing. The most favored types are below. But the full list of each type and variety is here.

Diamante, Tristar Everbearing, Red Alpine, Yellow Alpine, Sweet Charlie, Earliglow, Sparkle

What effects growth of strawberries?
Where the days are hot and the nights are cool is where strawberries will flourish. The heat and sun during the day will help growth of leaves and runners from the main plant while the cool nights will help with the formation of flowers.

Watering Needs
From early blooming to the end of harvest, water is an integral element to a plentiful fruit. About 1-2 inches per week will suffice for a very juicy fruit.

How do I plant strawberries?
Be sure to only purchase certified disease-free plants. Plant in the spring when the soil is dry enough to prepare. The plants should have large crowns and light colored roots. Roughly a hole 1.5 times as big as the plants roots should work. After placing the plant in the hole, pack the soil around the plant. Rows should be at least 3 to 4 feet wide. Plants should be at least 18 inches from each other.

Don't have a garden? Plant in containers.
This is a great way to grow strawberries especially if space is limited because the content and pH levels of the soil can be better controlled. Standard potting soil will work best. Miracle grow moisture control is ideal for hot weather to better control water levels. A simple pot as the one shown will work. Many variations of these pots exist, so it's really all about what works best for when deciding on a pot.

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