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Backyard Gardener: Sunshine and strawberries

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners. As we head into the second week of June, local strawberries are available for purchasing at the farmers market and for picking on your own at several farms. U-pick strawberries are usually sold by the pound and many farms sell pre-picked strawberries by the quart box. It is a great experience to head out into the fields and pick your own berries so be prepared with a few helpful hints.

There is an art to picking strawberries. Pinch or pull the stem from the plant and be sure to leave the stem on each berry. Removing the stem dramatically reduces the strawberry’s shelf life. If a strawberry is red, it is done growing and will spoil if left behind.

Keep in mind ripe berries of any kind are very perishable and you need to handle gently. After picking, protect the strawberries from direct sunlight and don’t leave them in a hot car. Store berries in the refrigerator and leave the stems on and don’t rinse off the berries until you are ready to eat them or to process.

Strawberries are also a great choice for the home garden. They require a relatively small amount of space and can be grown in raised beds, patches in the garden and even containers.

Each plant may produce up to one quart of fruit when grown in a matted row during the first fruiting year. June-bearing cultivars typically produce fruits during the second year of planting while everbearing and day-neutral cultivars produce fruits during the first year of planting. Twenty-five plants will normally produce enough strawberries for an average-sized family.

First, you need to choose a site that has full sun and good soil drainage. Similar to other fruit crops, strawberry plants require as much exposure to sunlight as possible and need at least 8 hours of sunlight. Sites with well-drained soil are best for strawberry plant health and growth. If your soil has a lot of clay and has poor drainage, consider amending the soil with organic matter or utilize raised beds.

Strawberry plants are typically sold as dormant crowns and should be planted in the garden as soon as possible in the spring. They grow from these crowns, which are short, compressed stems. They also have runners or stolons (also called “daughter” plants), which can be used to propagate new strawberry plants.

Strawberries are very sensitive to crown depth so proper planting is crucial. Be sure to set the plants so that their roots are well covered with soil but the central growing bud, or crown, is exposed to light and fresh air. If you bury the crown, the plant could easily rot.

Keep in mind your strawberry patch will not remain productive forever. Yields usually decline during the second and third years of fruiting. A strawberry bed also needs to be renovated after three years of fruiting to stay productive for one or two more years.

Strawberry plants can be divided into three types, June-bearing, everbearing and day-neutral. June-bearing plants are cultured to produce a full crop the season after planting. Typically, the ripening season of June-bearing strawberry varieties range from late May to the end of June. Everbearing cultivars are capable of producing a crop in the year of planting and can produce two smaller crops, one in late spring and the second in early fall. The day-neutral plants are capable of producing fruit throughout most of the growing season.

June-bearing types are most popular for the home garden and commercial use and are well worth waiting for because of their high yields, outstanding flavor and quality. June-bearing varieties, which perform well and available from local nurseries are, ‘Earliglow’, ‘Honeoye’, ‘Lateglow’, ‘Sequoia’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Tioga’, and ‘Sweet Charlie’. Everbearing varieties which can be tried are ‘Gem’,’ Streamliner’, and ‘Ozark Beauty’. Day-neutral cultivar which perform well are ‘Seascape’, and ‘Tristar’. The use of disease-resistant strawberry cultivars is recommended especially on poorly drained sites to help reduce the occurrence of two primary diseases of strawberry: red stele and verticillium wilt.

When planting, make sure to cover the roots and only half of the crown with soil. Make a trench deep enough to set the roots vertically. June-bearing plants are spaced 12 to 24 inches apart. On close-spaced plants, control by removing unwanted runners during the first season. Mulch the planting with 3 to 4 inches of straw or wood chips to conserve moisture. Good weed control is important because strawberries do not compete well for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Weeds also can be a source of diseases and may harbor insects. In addition to value for weed control, mulching is necessary to provide winter protection for the plants. Apply straw that is free of weed seeds 2 to 3 inches deep over plants. Mulches used for winter protection should be pulled from plants in early spring, before there is much leaf yellowing. Strawberries are ready to pick 30 days after they bloom. When picked cool and refrigerated, strawberries can often be stored up to a week. Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office at 304-424-1960 with questions. Good Luck and Happy Gardening.

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