How to Plant Strawberries

This page will break down the process of how to plant strawberries. Strawberries have been around about 2,200 years and grew in the wild in Italy around 234 B.C. http://www.berries4u.com/history.htm The strawberry is a member of the Rose family and was first introduced to America in the 1600's. http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/strawbhistory.htm California is the largest producer of strawberries in the United States with 80% of the nation's strawberries grown there. http://www.berries4u.com/history.htm Florida is a close second producer. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/facts.html

Strawberries are used in many recipes such as salads, smoothies, ice cream, punch, jams, pies, tarts, muffins and breads just to name a few. They are very popular in desserts and are also great to eat by themselves because they are low in calories and high in vitamin C, fiber, folate and phytonutrients. Eating strawberries boosts your overall health, lowers heart disease and cancer risk. http://www.easy-strawberry-recipes.com/

Each strawberry plant produces about a quart of strawberries. http://gardening.about.com/od/fruitsberriesnuts/a/Strawberries.htm If you take good care of your strawberry plants they can last 5—6 years. http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/strawbhistory.htm

Before you can start planting strawberries, you need to know a little bit about the different varieties there are so you can choose which one to plant. There are three varieties to choose from: June bearing, Everbearing and Day neutral. If you are short on space it's recommended that you grow either the Day neutral of Everbearing variety, since these produce smaller fruits and require less space than the June bearing variety. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/growing.html

June bearing:
This plant produces a single, large crop per year during a 2—3 week period in the spring. The June bearing variety usually produces the largest fruits and is the strawberry plant that is the most traditional.

Everbearing:
This plant produces 2—3 harvests during fall, spring and summer.

Day neutral:
This plant produces fruits throughout the growing season.

To plant strawberries, you will need the following items:

1. Strawberry plants
2. Water
3. Good soil
4. Gardening tools
5. Fertilizer

When:
The best time to plant a strawberry plant is in early spring during the March and April months.http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/growing.html Make sure there is no frost since this will kill the plants. The soil has to be easy to work with and should be moist (not wet).

Where:
If possible try to plant your strawberry plants in soil where nothing has grown for about three years. This will help in preventing diseases. If this is not possible, make sure not to plant where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant or peppers were previously grown.http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Garden_Tips/When_Where_and_How_to_Plant_Strawberries.asp Choose a spot that has full sun exposure since strawberry plants thrive in the sun. Make sure the soil is weed-free and drains well.

How:
Before planting, test your soil to make sure the pH is between 5.5 and 6.5http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Garden_Tips/When_Where_and_How_to_Plant_Strawberries.asp Balance the soil using compost. If you don't know how to test soil pH, check with your local garden center or nursery for instructions. They can provide test kits with full instructions. Plant the strawberry plant by making a hole large enough to spread the roots. Bury the plant so that the soil only goes halfway up the crown. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/growing.html The plants should produce runners and daughter plants in 4–5 weeks.

Care:
Right after planting, water your plants if the soil is dry. During growing season the strawberry plants need 1—2 inches of water per week.http://gardening.about.com/od/fruitsberriesnuts/a/Strawberries.htm Fertilizing should not just be done before planting the strawberry plants, but also after the first harvest. This will keep the plants in good condition and promote the next growth. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/growing.html

Harvesting:
Strawberries are at their best when they are fully ripened on the plant. The best way to make sure they are ripe, is to taste them. It takes up to 30 days after planting before the strawberry plants are ready for harvesting.http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Garden_Tips/Harvesting_Strawberries.asp Remove the berries by pinching the stem between thumb and forefinger. This way you won't bruise the fruits. It's also recommended to pick the fruits early in the morning when they are cool. http://www.allaboutstuff.com/Garden_Tips/Harvesting_Strawberries.asp