Strawberries!!!

Everybody loves strawberries. They are so juicy and delicious and amazing eaten several different ways. However, if you've never had fresh, home grown strawberries, then you have been missing out. Strawberries are right up there with tomatoes for food that is way better home grown than bought in a store. You CAN grow your own strawberries, but there are a few things you should know.

You can find lots of good articles on the basics of growing strawberries already on the web like these:

How To Grow Strawberries, Better Homes and Gardens


Strawberries: Planting, Growing and Harvesting

However, here are my personal tips for success.

Right now it is March and here in central PA, you can plant strawberry crowns now. In fact, I planted mine in February two years ago. Buying crowns instead of plants is far more affordable and they'll still do just fine. I purchased mine in a bunch of 25.

Mulch around your plants with pine needles. You can rake them up under any pine tree. I've gotta give cudos to Barbara Pleasant for this bit of advice. The biggest problem with growing Strawberries is the weeds and pine needles are great for keeping them down. They also keep the strawberries out of the mud so they're less apt to rot.

Now, the first year you have your plants you have to pinch off the flowers so the plants will get established. It's awful, I know. But perennial food plants are an investment in the future. Once you get them going right, you'll be getting food for years.

On your second year (and every year there after), when the strawberry plant starts to flower, sprinkle a general purpose fertilizer around the plants (but not ON them) to give them a boost.

When you see small, white berries start to form, dust the plants with Diatomacious Earth to keep slugs and beetles from eating the berries before you can. You can find it at any hardware store or garden center.

Strawberries can be eaten fresh, frozen, made into jam and canned. Also, kids LOVE them. My daughter gets excited to check for fresh berries throughout the summer. They really are worth the time. Do you have any tips for growing strawberries? Please share in the comments below.