Strawberries

Strawberries

Recommended Varieties:
~June Bearing~
*Ventana
*Sequoia
Oso Grande
Camino Real
Camarosa
Tioga
~Everbearing~
**Albion
*Diamante
Aromas
Seascape
Eversweet (Hecker/Fern Cross)
Selva
Hecker
Fern

Varieties to Avoid
Benton
Shucksham
Tribute
Tristar
Quinault
Fort Laramie
Ozark Beauty
Whopper

Planting (year 1):
Plant in spring or early summer, they will produce a small crop the first year.
Work organic material into the top 8-10 inches of the soil.
Work in a complete fertilizer along with the organic material, strawberries love nitrogen (but need complete fertilizer like 16-8-8)
Plant in rows, staggered 10 to 14" apart. (1 per square foot)
Immediately after planting, thoroughly soak (impact sprinkler 1 hour on quarter circle.)
If planted in the spring, water every other day for a few minutes for a week, if planted in warm summer weather, water for a few minutes every day for a week

Watering:
Water strawberries regularly to keep even level of moisture -
During 2nd week of planting, water every 2-3 days, depending on weather
After two weeks, water 2x a week. (Impact sprinkler, let run to soak root zone - 12" deep. or do soaker hoses in furrows = preferable to avoid fungus.)

Growing:

Within 4 weeks of planting, clip all the flowers. Let the next set of flowers grow.

Remove all runners to encourage plant to produce berries (instead of new plants) Do through October on everbearing berries.

Fertilize once every 6 weeks lightly, rather than a lot at the beginning of the year (example: ammonium sulfate at a rate of 1.5 cups per 30 feet row that is 36" wide)

Mulch - Strawberries love mulch. put grass clippings 4" deep after they are vigorously growing - about 3 weeks after planting in late spring.

renew mulch in the spring

You can leave runners that grow after fruiting season (oct for everbearers). Direct them where you want them to grow.

In october when the strawberry plants are dry, mow them down or clip to 4" and then re-mulch. Or leave plants and renew mulch in spring.

Harvesting:
When berries are fruiting, pick three to four times a week. Pick ripe and refrigerate immediately.
If you follow these methods, you should get 150-200 berries per plant!

Following Years:

year 2 - don't clip flowers at all, do clip runners all season
year 3 - repeat
year 4 - repeat

After the fourth season is done, you'll need to replant new plants the next year. (unless you had new plants grow.)