How Do You Grow Strawberries In Home Garden? Tips And Tricks
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Who is not a strawberry lover? If you love strawberries, you can reap the benefits of picking ripe fruits straight from your garden, which has a variety of kinds that are simple to produce at home. Growers of strawberries quickly discover that they can enjoy an abundance of tasty fruit because a single plant can produce a large number of fruits.

Homegrown strawberries are minimal in calories, fat, cholesterol, and salt. They are also high in antioxidants, containing manganese and vitamin C. They enhance the flavour of everything from pies and lemonade to salads and salsas, and they are a kid and adult favourite.

Among all the fruits, strawberries are the most versatile. The luscious, sweet berries taste well on their own or combined with almost anything. Add strawberries to smoothies, cereal, porridge or toast as strawberry jelly in the morning. They are excellent for lunch on a salad, added to a glass of lemonade, or even in a sandwich. Naturally, strawberries are the main ingredient in a wide variety of desserts, including strawberry cheesecake and chocolate-covered strawberries. Continue reading!

How To Cultivate Strawberries?

  • For luscious, juicy fruits, grow strawberries in a well-prepared strawberry bed, pot, growing bag, or planter in a sheltered area with lots of sunlight. Before planting, enrich the soil with a large amount of garden compost or well-rotted horse manure. Water plants thoroughly, especially during hot weather, and feed them frequently in the early spring with a high-potash fertiliser. When the fruits are completely crimson, harvest them. Every three or four years, transplant new plants or create new ones from runners to replace the old ones.
  • In spring or autumn, depending on your growth zone, plant strawberries. Raised beds, containers, and in-ground gardens are all great places to grow.
  • Strawberries should be planted 18 inches apart to allow for runners. There are several ways to grow strawberries, but whatever you do, ensure they receive eight hours or more of sunlight and are planted in slightly acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.8) soil.
  • Add several inches of aged compost or rich organic materials to your native soil to help it grow. For container gardening, think about using a high-quality bagged potting mix.
  • Weekly watering of plants should be limited to 1 to 1.5 inches; do not soak the leaves.
  • Use a continuous-release fertiliser to keep plants nourished and encourage optimum fruit output.
  • Ripe strawberries should be picked early in the morning and chilled immediately.

When Should Strawberries Be Planted?

Grow strawberries in the autumn or spring. When to plant strawberries depends on whether you're purchasing "runners," immature, bare-rooted strawberries, or potted plants. There is a large variety of root runners to choose from; they come in bundles without plastic pots and are typically less expensive to purchase than pot-grown strawberries. 

The best time to plant strawberry runners is late summer to early fall when the soil is still warm, and the plants develop quickly. However, there is a limited time window for traditional purchasing and planting of them. Avoid planting strawberries in the winter or early spring, as they detest cold, wet soil. 

Some nurseries sell strawberry runners that have been refrigerated. They are typically available from April through June. When cold-stored strawberry runners are planted early and given frequent irrigation during dry times, they bear fruit in their first season.

Strawberries Grown In Pots

  • One of the greatest ways to grow strawberries is in pots because the plants usually have limited root systems. Because they provide fruit all during the growing season, day-neutral types are suggested for container gardening.
  • Select a location with full sun, just like when planting strawberries in the ground. Check on potted strawberry plants daily to ensure the soil is continuously moist since they will dry out more quickly than those in a patch. 
  • To make this chore easier, consider employing a drip irrigation system for containers timed to prevent the plants from resting in water; choose a container with a drainage hole at the bottom.

Handling Potted Strawberries In The Winter

You can either dispose of the used soil and plants, wash the pot, and store it for replanting the following year, or you can continue watering the plants until late autumn, store the pot in an unheated garage or shed, and allow the plants to go dormant, giving them a little water every week or so. Return the pot to its sunny location after the final spring frost, and the plants should begin growing again.

Pests

It takes much care to prevent fungi and insects from damaging strawberries. They may be impacted by sunburn, anthracnose, fruit disease, and root rot. Strawberries are susceptible to harm from insects like strawberry weevils, and if they are not covered with plant netting, birds will eat them. 

Furthermore, slugs and snails can hide beneath plant-protecting mulch; if they become a major issue, employ an organic slug control.