Do you want to grow some perfect strawberries this year?? Check out these creative tips and tricks
Shelley said: “Water, water & more water! If they aren’t watered enough the berries are small & bitter. I plant mint & marigolds around mine, that keeps the critters away.”
Suzanne said: “Make sure your soil is not acidic. Add lime if it is.”
Wendy said: “I wrap copper tape around the containers to keep the snails off.”
Katie said: “Use netting to keep the birds from stealing them.”
Carrie said: “My grandparents grew them on a trellis. Good memories of picking strawberries with them!”
Kathy said: “We planted about 20 strawberry plants 13 years ago in our backyard. The half that see the most morning sun produce bigger and happier plants.”
Amy said: “I created a strawberry patch in my front yard. I compost my herbal tea, coffee grounds and veggie peelings year round. Right before the hard frost for the year, I put the compost in my berry bed to insulate and feed my berry babies all winter.
I also buy little red ornaments after Christmas and put them in my berry patch, so the birds peck at them a few times and are jaded by the time the berries appear. Works with tomatoes too.”
Kay said: “Straw or newspapers between rows keeps weeds down and are biodegradable, thus making your berry patch it’s own compost area simultaneously.”
Bruno said: “I grow mine in raised beds. I don’t trim off the dead leaves before winter. They help insulate the plants until spring and self compost. I only like June bearing plants. The ever bearing plants don’t really impress much.”
Toni said: “I’m not a fan of the ever-bearing plants as you never get a crop.”
Rich said: “When I was on the organic farm, we used raised beds and black plastic, to increase the soil temps and to keep weeds at bay. At home, I found buying a good quality plant to start with was the best, and using a hanging container worked for me.”
Samantha said: “We make our furrows, add plenty of peat moss, cover the row with black plastic (tuck it into the edges of the roes so its secure). Then make a small slit to plant your strawberries.
To keep weeds down & water in place, add straw in-between the rows. The black plastic keeps moisture in and sterilizes the soil against weeds… this is how the Amish farmers grow all their crops in our area. We have humid & often very warm Summers.”
Beckie said: “Give them plenty of room to run, but know that you won’t get any berries the first year.”
Hope said: “The secret will be found in year #2! The first year they seem to be just getting used to things.”