Strawberries ( How To Grow )

               Hello, this is Ken and Marilou and we would like to welcome you back here today on Garden The Easy Way.  

               Today we would like to talk about one of the most popular fruits, and no home garden should not be without it, we are talking about Strawberries. Strawberries are bright red and so beautiful in a garden, and they are easy to grow, you can grow strawberries just about any where.  

              There is nothing like having your very own crop of big bright red sweet delicious strawberries in your garden. I think sometimes people think since the strawberries are so delicious and beautiful they are hard to grow, I will tell you this strawberries are easy to grow, so do not go without your home grown strawberries.  

              You can grow strawberries in your garden, plant them in rows, or make a strawberry bed all by it self. My wife Marilou and I grow strawberries in a big flower pot last year. You will have strawberries for years to come after planting your strawberry plants. Strawberry plants grow runners and your runners of your strawberry plant keeps on growing strawberries year after year.    

              You can cut runners off your strawberry plant, and give them away to a neighbor or family and friends and they too can start their very own strawberry crop, or you can start another crop in a different spot in your garden. Strawberries will grow in cold weather or hot weather, as long as they have their water.  

              There are 3 types of strawberry plants to choose from:

1. Everbearing Strawberry  

2. Day Neutral Strawberry

3. June Bearing Strawberry      

Everbearing - Produce 2 to 3 crops of strawberries during the spring, and summer also in the fall. Everbearing Strawberries do not have a lot of runners.  

Day Neutral - Will produce strawberries all season, lots of fruits and not very many runners, and the strawberries are a little smaller than June Bearing Strawberry.

June Bearing - Only have one large crop of strawberries per year, 2 to 3 week period in the spring. June bearing plants will produce a lot more runners. June Bearing Strawberries has the largest fruit generally.  

               You and your family will have to decide which strawberry plants suits you best. After choosing your strawberry plant. There are some things you will need to know.

1. Your strawberry plants need ( Full Sun ).  

2. Good soil is important, strawberry plants like sandy, well drained soil.  

3. Work up your soil well in early spring. Add 2 to 3 inches of aged manure mix well and then add 2 to 3 inches of compost, and mix well again.  

4. In the early spring after all danger of frost has passed, you are ready to plant, make your rows in a mound 24 inches across. Plant your strawberries 18 inches apart.

5. When planting your strawberries, make a hole in the soil, gently put the root down in the hole and cover up to the middle of the crown of the strawberry plant, most important ( Never cover up the whole crown, only halfway of the crown ) or your plants could die.

6. Mulch 2 to 3 inches between plants and rows to keep the soil temperature cool, and the mulch will help keep the weeds out. Never use any black plastic, it will raise the soil temperature, and will hurt your strawberry plants, and may even kill your plants.

7. Keep your soil cool by watering, if you don't get any rain water 2 times a week. Strawberry plants need their water, so they can produce their fruits. Strawberry plants in order to produce a lot of strawberries, must have cool soil 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water per week is best.    

                                             (  Enjoy Your Strawberries  )

               Well that's it for today, here on Garden The Easy Way, we hope to talk tomorrow. Until then, this is Ken & Marilou wishing you all Happy Gardening Always.