Who doesn’t like juicy sweet strawberries? But is it too easy to get the perfect color, taste, and smell? There are tricks and tactics to grow tasty, and mouth-watering strawberries.

Here are a few tips to take care of your strawberry plants effortlessly at each stage involved in the growth of these plants.

  1. Always Opt for Good-Quality, Disease-Resistant Plants Bought from a Reputable Nursery in your Area

Seeds form a very important foundation of agriculture. Although modernized technology has improved the day-to-day operations of the farmers yet without good-quality seeds, this cannot be achieved. 

  • The seed so chosen must be genetically pure.
  • It must include the required level of physical purity.
  • The seeds must be disease resistant.
  • Seeds must have high germination quality.
  • They must have an optimum moisture content.
  1. Maintain Proper Spacing

You must plant in deep and wide holes in order to accommodate the root system and avoid any kind of bending.

  • Be careful that you don’t make the planting holes too deep.
  • The roots should be completely covered in the soil but the crown of the plant must be at the surface of the soil.
  • Strawberry plants need adequate space for sprawling, hence, plant them out 20 inches apart. A 4 feet gap must be maintained between the rows.
  • Ensure that the roots are no longer than 8 inches. If in case they are, trim them.
  1. Ensure Good Quality of the Soil on Which Plantation is Being Done

Good soil plays a very important role in a plantation. It is very important for the strength of the roots.

  • Each crop has different soil requirements and therefore choosing soil accordingly becomes very important.
  • The soil pH is to be maintained between 5.5 and 7.
  • Prefer loamy soil.
  • See the soil does not have any pests or weed growth.
  1. Protect the Crop from Pests and Diseases

Your crop can be exposed to many kinds of pests and diseases like, Gray Mold, Powdery Mildew, Japanese Beetles, Spider-Mites, Slugs, etc. and it becomes essential to protect the crop from them to get healthy, sweet and juicy strawberries.

  • Sand is suggested to be spread over the strawberries to keep Slugs away.
  • Spraying of garlic puree and oil of neem seed can keep bigger bugs like Japanese beetles away.
  • Balloons with scare eyes above the bed can be used to keep the birds away.
  • Myler bird tape can also be brought into use.
  1. Carefully Harvest and Store the Crop

Taking care of your crop only during the growing phase is not enough. Special care has to be provided even during harvesting and storing the strawberries.

  • Strawberries are fully ready for being harvested after 4 to 6 weeks of blossoming.
  • You must harvest only the fully ripe (red) berries.
  • You must pick the strawberries every three days.
  • It is advisable to not pull the berries but cut by the stem.
  • You can store unwashed berries for 3 to 5 days in a refrigerator.

TIPS

  • Look for your local frost dates and plan to plant accordingly.
  • Water the plant adequately and moisture plays an important role in the growth.

Do strawberry plants need full sun?

Strawberries need plenty of sun and water to fruit well and produce plump, tasty berries. Choose a planting site that gets at least six to eight hours of full direct sun each day — ten hours or more is even better. The more sun your plants get, the more fruit they’ll produce.

How often do you need to water strawberry plants?

How should strawberries be watered and fertilized? Watering. Strawberry plants need regular water to thrive, especially during fruit bearing season, when they need an average of 1-2 inches of water daily. The best way to water strawberries is to use drip or soaker hose placed at least two inches away from the plant.

How do you care for a potted strawberry plant?

The trick to growing strawberries in containers is to avoid both dryness and sogginess. That is accomplished by watering with less water several times a day in the heat of the summer. The soil should stay just-damp, never dry. Also, make sure that your chosen container will drain adequately.

What is the best way to grow strawberries in pots?

Plant the Strawberries

Make a small mound in the potting mix, and spread out the roots over the mound. Then, cover the roots up to the crown with the potting mix, and water the soil well. Add more potting mix as needed after the soil settles from watering, but do not cover the crown with soil.

What is the best thing to feed strawberry plants?

If, on the other hand, you are devoted to growing the fruit organically, introduce aged manure to increase the nitrogen. Don’t use fresh manure. Other organic options for fertilizing strawberries include blood meal, which contains 13% nitrogen; fish meal, soy meal, or alfalfa meal.

Do strawberries grow better in pots or ground?

Most strawberry plants produce fruit for 3 years or a bit longer. Growing strawberries in the ground is easiest for long-term, perennial growing. While you can grow in containers, it may shorten the lifespan of the plant. Window boxes, flower bags, and hanging baskets are fine for a single growing season.

What month is best to plant strawberries?

The ideal time to plant strawberries is after the threat of frost is past in early spring, usually March or April.

Is potting soil good for strawberries?

Strawberries need moist, nutrient-rich potting soil in to set a good crop of berries. A mix that includes a porous material, a steady source of nutrients and a moisture-retaining ingredient provides the right structure and balance for the plants to thrive in containers.

Do strawberries come back every year?

Strawberries are often the first fruit a gardener tries in the garden, because they produce abundantly with little care. Even though strawberries are hardwired to return year after year, the choice to grow them as perennials is completely at your discretion.

What to do when strawberry plants finished fruiting?

Aftercare
  1. After harvesting, remove the straw or matting that has been protecting fruit from the ground.
  2. Cut off old leaves with hand shears and remove, leaving the crown and new leaves untouched.
  3. Feed and water well.
  4. Leave nets off to allow birds to pick off any pests.

Should I cut leaves off strawberry plants?

In late Summer or Autumn, when the plants have finished fruiting it is a good idea to trim away all of the old foliage. Treat each plant individually and give it a good haircut with shears or a large pair of scissors.

Are eggshells good for strawberries?

Strawberry plants will grow well with the addition of natural potassium which can be made by utilizing eggshells. The prepared eggshell is by drying it with sunlight until it is completely dry.

How can I make my strawberries grow bigger and sweeter?

Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil. Planting strawberries in raised beds is also a good idea, as this (along with adequate soil) ensures for better drainage.

Can I use Miracle Grow on strawberry plants?

In fall, strawberry plants form the buds that will bloom and produce berries the following year. Beginning a month after planting, apply Miracle–Gro® Performance Organics® All Purpose Plant Nutrition Granules to restock the soil with just the kind of rich organic nutrition your strawberries need.

Why Miracle Grow is bad?

Miracle–Gro supplies an enormous amount of nitrogen for plants so that they grow big, bushy, green, and fast. The problem with MG is that the nitrogen is derived from synthetic ammonium and water soluble nitrates, producing off-chemicals that are harmful to soil microbes, worms, and all other forms of life in the soil.

Can you use Epsom salt on strawberries?

During the growing season, give strawberry plants a liquid potash feed – such as a tomato feed – every 7 to 14 days. Before planting seeds, add one to two tablespoons of Epsom salts to the soil of each hole. During the growing season, apply a foliar spray of two tablespoons of salts to each gallon of water.

What does Epsom salt do for strawberries?

Epsom salt contains magnesium, which is an essential nutrient that helps a plant perform some of its essential functions. One of these is that magnesium increases a plant’s ability to absorb other nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, without which it would struggle to thrive.