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Grow strawberries: are appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness, packed with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. In addition to leaves, flowers and fruit, a strawberry plant has a crown, roots, runners and produces daughter plants. Strawberries are self-fertile, but require bees for pollination.
Varieties: there are three types of strawberries available to the home gardener. June-bearing strawberries produce a large, concentrated crop in mid-June to early July.
Ever-bearing types produce two crops, one in early summer and the second in early fall. Day neutral plants produce fruit throughout most of the growing season.
Planting: before planting, a soil test will help you find out if you need to add any nutrients. It’s a good idea to work some well-rotted compost into the soil before planting. Compost helps add nutrients to the soil, improves drainage and increases microbial activity, all of which will benefit the plants.
Soil: Strawberries should be planted in well-drained soil that does not accumulate standing water following a heavy rainstorm. Planting on higher ground minimizes frost damage, while increasing air circulation around the strawberry plants allows the berries to dry out faster, reducing the incidence of some diseases.
Space: if planting a large number of strawberries, plant in rows. This makes it easier to control weeds, runners, and pests. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows of 3 to 4 feet apart.
Time: plant dormant strawberry transplants in spring as soon as the soil is warm enough to easily get a trowel into it. Potted plants should be planted soon after purchase, after risk of frost is past.
Care: strawberries require sun to produce fruit. Ten or more hours of sunlight each day is ideal, but they need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day. Choose a site located away from trees and buildings.
Watering: after planting, firm the soil around the plant and water thoroughly. Strawberries perform best when they are given the equivalent of 1 inch of rainwater per week. Always water early in the day so that leaves have a chance to dry before nightfall. This will help prevent leaf diseases.
Good practices: after planting, pinch off any flower buds that appear for the first few weeks. As runners begin to appear, place them where you want the plants to fill in and gently press the end of the runner into the soil. Mulch will protect the plants from extreme winter cold so they will emerge again next spring.
Fertilizing: apply compost or an organic fertilizer around the plants to increase nitrogen for plant growth and fruit development.
Weeding: strawberries are poor competitors, keep all weeds out of the strawberry bed. Hand-weeding is recommended for home gardeners. Careful surface cultivation with a hoe is effective for managing weeds in strawberry plantings.
Harvest: strawberries ripen from the tip towards the leafy stem end. Some varieties have “white shoulders” because the leaves cover the fruit and do not allow for the red color to develop. But most will be completely red when ripe. They might not all be large, but a deep red, homegrown strawberry will always have a big flavor.
Storage: for best results, pick the fruit when it is dry and place fruit in refrigerator immediately. This will help extend the storage life of the berries.
Source: https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-strawberries-home-garden
