Raising Prize Strawberries

One of the greatest prizes of the growing season is the availability of strawberries. Strawberries are one of the tastiest fruits, and are even better mixed with a few things, such as coated in sugar or chocolate. Ripe, juicy strawberries can be yours, and you can grow them in your own garden, if you follow the right steps when planting your new crop.

When you go to plant your strawberries, if you only plan on having a small crop, it is probably better to put them into a planter instead of in the ground. If you do it this way, you will be able to better protect your strawberries from the elements and from the many pests that love to eat them as much as you. If you use either a planter or use the ground directly, you will use the same methods.

Start growing your strawberries by finding a cooler, well drained, and sunny place for your strawberries to grow. You should use soil that is just slightly acidic, and has preferably never been used to grow strawberries before, though it should not do too much damage if it has. Remove all weeds from the soil, and rake in plenty of nutrients with phosphorous-rich fertilizer.

If you have bought strawberry roots to plant, make sure to soak the roots for about an hour. Plant the roots into the soil, then cover the soil with straw or mulch to help conserve the moisture in the soil. Water the strawberries constantly, preferably with a drip irrigation system. Feed the strawberries about once a month with a balanced fertilizer.

After a short amount of time, you should begin to have fruit growing on your vines. Keep following the tips above to have the strawberries grow to their fullest. When it is time to harvest the strawberries, pick the ripe fruit in the cool of the morning every other day. Leave just a little bit of vine attached to the fruit, as that will help it grow to its fullest. You will find that you have great tasting fruit, and strawberries worthy of the best uses.