Find out when to plant strawberries to have fresh, sweet fruit by June.
Garden-ripened strawberries have a rich flavor and sweetness that supermarket berries cannot touch.
Here’s how to time your planting right.
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
Exactly when you plant strawberries depends on the jot down of plant and your climate.
it’s possible for you to do this beforeyour last frost date.
Plant potted transplants as soon as you buy them and after the risk of frost has passed.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
June-bearing strawberrieslike Allstar and Earliglow produce fruit in June only the year they are planted.
Day-neutral berrieslike Albion, Tristar, and Elsanta produce fruit throughout the growing season.
They are a good pick for cooler climates.
Alpine strawberriesare basically wild strawberries you’re able to grow in your garden.
Because they are in limited commercial production, many people grow these strawberries from seed.
After blooming and producing fruit, many types of strawberriesgrow runners that have baby strawberry plantsat the tips.
Those runners root themselves in the soil near the mother plant.
For that reason it’s best to snip off runners every time you see them.
Ideally you’re doing a weekly pruning of runners throughout the growing season.
Snip off runners with baby plants when they have developed a few tiny roots.
Replant the baby plants in their own pots.
You’ll have free plants to share with your garden pals.
There’s a step before planting strawberry seeds in soil: Seeds need to be chilled to improve germination.
To do this, put the entire pack of strawberry seeds in your freezer for three to four weeks.
Then sow seeds in trays of potting medium andplace the tray under a grow light.
You probably won’t get a good fruit harvest that first year from seed-grown plants.
Strawberries need a year to get strong roots and leaves to support a good berry crop.
They also work well as edible edging in a mixed bed.
If you bury the crown, your strawberry plant will likely rot.
For strawberry varieties that produce runners, space the plants 18 inches apart.
For varieties that do not produce runners, space plants 6 inches apart.
Harvest fully ripe strawberries in the morning, when the berries are cool.Refrigerate your berriesat once.
Dont leave ripe berries on the plant because they rot quickly.
