Know How to Grow Strawberries

Strawberries are undeniably delicious, and freshly grown berries from your garden can taste sweeter and juicer than store-bought varieties. One of the easiest berries to grow, strawberries are versatile and can survive and thrive in many different gardening situations. While growing strawberries is not overly difficult, there are a few basic steps that need to be taken in order to get great results. Here's how to get started growing strawberries.

Planting Your Strawberries

You can buy established strawberry plants from almost any nursery in the spring. Buying a variety that is well suited for the climate you live in helps ensure better success. You can talk to local gardeners and nursery employees for more information about which plants will work in your area. Strawberries are perennial plants that can come back and continue to grow fruit after going dormant in the winter. If you want them to survive cold conditions you may need to plant them in the ground, whereas if you grow them in containers you may need to replant them next spring.

Caring for Strawberries

Keep your strawberry plants out in the open air so that natural pollination can take place. For better growth, you can also mulch your strawberries by placing straw or a similar substrate around the base of the plants. Shelter the strawberries from extreme heat. The mulch can help with this, but if you live in an especially hot area you may also need to provide your plants with some shade. Since they have relatively shallow root systems you will need to water your plants often. The general rule of thumb is to give them one to two inches of water a week.

Harvesting Strawberries

Depending on the variety of strawberries, they may produce fruit once in the early summer or produce a few times throughout the season. You will know the berries on your plants are ripe and ready to pick when they don't have any green patches on them. Ripe strawberries can be either red or white. They should come off of the stem easily with a gentle tug. It can be a good idea to harvest them quickly as birds will start to enjoy them if they are left out.

Strawberries are a delicious addition that can be grown almost anywhere. Make sure your plants get the basic care they need and you're almost certain to get a delightful yield of sweet berries. Keep looking into ways you can improve your gardening skills to grow better berries, vegetables, and more.