9 Secrets to Growing Great Strawberries
There are many factors that can affect whether or not your strawberry plants will grow well. These strawberry growing tips can help you be successful with your strawberries, no matter what the climate is like where you live.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to properly plant strawberry plants and some other important factors that you may want to consider before planting them in your garden.
Secrets to Succesful Strawberries
#1: Plant in a well draining location
Strawberry plants should not be planted in an area that is wet. This includes areas with standing water, or where there’s a lot of runoff from rain events.
Plant them in raised beds to avoid the problem and make sure you use peat moss as your planting mix to help keep moisture away from the roots.
#2: Strawberries need space
Strawberry plants need space for their long runners (stems) so give them at least two feet per row, preferably three feet apart if possible.
You can plant more than one row next to each other when planting strawberries but leave some room between rows since they will grow wider rather than taller over time.
#3: Strawberry plants need light
Strawberry plants need light exposure so don’t cover them up by stacking straw mulch around the base – this can cause the plant to go into hibernation. Strawberry plants should be placed in areas that get at least six hours of sun per day.
#4: Water them often
Strawberry plants need lots of water – they’re very thirsty! You want them watered every day, or even twice a day during dry periods.
#5: Pests
Insects are often your biggest enemy when it comes to strawberries because there are many different types that feed off your strawberry crop.
The best way to protect against insects is by using row covers and traps set up around the base of each plant about three feet from where you’ll be planting it. This will catch any bugs before they have a chance to settle on the leaves and eat your berries for lunch!
#6: Stagger your harvest
If possible, avoid harvesting all of the strawberries at once. This will allow you to stagger your harvest so there’s always some fruit on the plants and it’ll help keep them healthier because they won’t all be under stress from a heavy harvesting session.
#7: Love your strawberry plants
Strawberry plants need lots of love! Make sure to thin out any suckers (stems that grow next to each other) as well as take care of weeds.
Weeding is particularly important in strawberry beds since they’re often planted densely, which means weed competition can get pretty intense if left unchecked.
#8: Fragile roots
Strawberry plant roots are sensitive and fragile – don’t ever walk on or near their planting area when watering, working around, or harvesting; this will prevent injury and increase water efficiency by not having over-watered soil.
#9: Strawberry plants are tough
Strawberry plants are tough – they will eventually grow back after being damaged by large hail, heavy rains, or strong winds provided the roots weren’t completely destroyed in the process and it’s not too late into their season to start over!
There you have it, no need to stress about growing strawberries because, with these nine secrets, you’ll never struggle again.
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