Strawberries!

 Strawberries are SO GOOD! Who doesn't love strawberries? You can grow your own strawberries

My daughter and her friend picking strawberries.

organically and they are much more flavorful than any you will find in the store. Here's the basics. 

There are 2 kinds of Strawberries, June bearing which produce tons of fruit in June and then they're done for the year, or ever bearing which produce in June and then continue producing fruit into the fall. Ever bearing strawberries are best for container growing as they spread less vigorously. 

Strawberries are a perennial plant meaning that they will come back year after year. Hooray! However, they tend to only live about 3 to 4 years. The good news is that each year they send out runners (baby plants) that will establish and start growing. So the goal is to leave enough baby plants to keep the cycle of life going. 

If your serious about establishing a long term strawberry bed then you're going to have to do something hard. The first year, you must pinch off all the flowers till the end of June. It's murder, I know but it forces the plant to establish a better root system. 

Speaking of roots, Strawberry roots are shallow. In clay soil like mine, they only grow about 6 inches down. If your soil is looser then they may go up to 12 inches but no more. I say this to explain why you need to keep them watered, especially the first year. If there hasn't been much rain, be sure to give them a thorough soaking once a week. 

It's also essential that you mulch your strawberries. First of all, it will keep the weeds down and weeds are the bane of strawberries. Second, mulch will keep the soil moist for the plants. Finally, mulch keeps the berries off the dirt which helps keep bugs and mold off of them. 

Finally, there are a lot of potential pests and problems that can pop up with your plants. To avoid these, select a strawberry variety with disease resistance and keep your patch weed free and thinned out enough so there is good air circulation. I also dust with diatomacious earth (an organic pesticide) when the fruits are just about to ripen to keep bugs off. Finally, keep your beds clean of spoiled fruit as it's a magnet to bugs. 

Have you grown strawberries? Write about your experiences below!