How to plant Strawberries
17.01.2024 - 02:49
/ backyardgardener.com
/ Frederick Leeth
Stocks Strawberries are subject to several serious virus diseases, and at one time these threatened to make commercial cultivation quite uneconomic and garden culture most disappointing. However, there has been considerable improvement in the general health of strawberry stocks since the introduction of a government scheme of inspection.
It is of the utmost importance to start with disease-free stock and one should purchase from a grower with a good reputation to maintain.
Although the strawberry is of woodland origin, the modern fruit requires all the sun it can get. On the other hand, the site for the strawberry bed needs to be sheltered, for cold spring winds can very seriously check growth. The garden sloping gently towards the south, unshaded but sheltered, will yield the earliest crops.
Although strawberries may be grown in most parts of the world, late spring frosts may be a limiting factor. This can be quite a local problem and if your garden lies in a frost pocket there is not much you can do about it except to be ready to give some kind of protection with cloches or plastic to plants in flower or to sidestep the difficulty by growing only the so-called perpetual fruiting types, removing the first trusses of blossom and concentrating on late summer or autumn fruits.
Soil Strawberries do best in a rich medium loam with high humus content. Well-rotted leaf mold is an excellent material to incorporate in soils deficient in organic matter, but any other decayed vegetable matter can be used. The site needs to be well drained.
Heavy clay, peaty, and very light, sandy soils should be prepared well in advance of planting time.
Soils with a very high lime content are unsuitable for strawberries.
Early preparation will not only