Strawberries are a bright and delicious addition to any garden. Here are a few strawberry planting tips:

Prep Your Garden Bed

Start by choosing a place that will have plenty of sun. While strawberries will thrive in almost any soil, we advise that you add sand, peat moss, manure or other organic matter to the soil you already have in your bed to aid growth. Mix the manure in with your soil approximately one month before planting your berries for best results.

Planting

The best time to plant your strawberries is after April 1, while the ground is still cool but temperatures are starting to rise. Make sure not to plant your strawberries too deep or too shallow. A good rule of thumb is plant them the same depth they were in the pot. Plant each plant 18-24 inches apart, and make sure each row is separated by 20-24 inches. Fan out the roots of the plant and make sure they point straight down. Firmly pack the soil around the roots of your plant and wait for it to grow!

Encouraging Growth

Within a week, you should see new leaf growth. After 6-8 weeks, your strawberry plant will start to send out runners to establish new plants in your bed. Make sure the runners are pointing in the right direction so they don’t take root in a place you don’t want them! Fertilize your plants regularly. We recommend fertilizing at least three times per season with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Use 1-2 pounds of fertilizer per 100 square feet in your bed.

Water once you begin to see blooms on your strawberry plants. Water liberally twice a week to help your plants grow. Make sure that the water has soaked 6-8 inches below the surface of the soil each time you water.

Every seven to ten days, take some time to cultivate your patch. Pull up any weeds you find and turn over (work) the soil to a depth of 1.5 inches. The day you work the soil is also a good day to fertilize or mix in new organic matter.  Working the soil helps keep the topsoil loose so the runners will root and grow more strawberry plants.

What to do in the Winter

In late fall, cover your strawberry plants with 4-6 inches of mulch to preserve them through the winter. You can use straw, leaves, hay, or shredded fodder which will keep in the heat but not strangle the plants. In the spring, begin checking the color of your plants. When the stems are yellow-green, remove all but an inch of the mulch and let the strawberries poke through and start growing again for another bright and delicious year.

Get the best varieties of strawberry plants at Jericho Nursery today!