Would you kindly address the subject
of raising strawberries in the very near future? ---- "T" in
Strawberries come in three general
categories: June-bearing, everbearing and day-neutral. The main
difference is their response to the amount of daylight and the
temperature. Within these general categories are many different
varieties. It is wise to know a little about each type before you
As a general rule, June-bearing plants are considered one-crop
berries. These are the largest of the berries and put out lots of
"runners," which are new little plants that form on a long thin
stem put out by the mother plants (the ones you planted). They are
ordinarily planted in spring and produce fruit several months
later. However, in Southern California, they can be planted in the
fall in late October or early November and will fruit as early as
January. They will also produce at least two and sometimes three
crops a year in this area.
Everbearing is a smaller berry that does not put out runners and
is not actually everbearing, as the name may lead you to believe.
But it does produce several crops a year. Day-neutral is also a
smaller berry; it is a cousin of the wild strawberry and doesn't
produce runners, but does keep fruiting throughout the season.
The Peaceful Valley website shows 15 different varieties and
tells the category of each. The information is helpful, whether or
not you buy plants from them. Just type "Peaceful Valley Nursery"
into Google and search on "strawberry plants." That's much easier
than typing their very long Web address.
Before planting your berries, amend the soil with organic
material; compost is ideal. Pick a sunny location with good
drainage; both are essential. Plant berries about 12 inches apart
and leave 18 inches between rows (24 inches if planting
June-bearing.) Be sure to leave half of the crown (the area between
the leaves and the roots) above ground: If you plant them too
deeply, they will rot.
If you are planting bare-root plants, trim roots to no more than
5 or 6 inches long. Put some fertilizer in the hole and fan the
roots out over a small mound of soil. Water thoroughly.
Strawberries like to be damp, but not soggy. As the plants begin to
grow, it's a good idea to give them a little supplementary
nitrogen, especially if your initial fertilizer was not high in
Mulch your bed to keep the developing fruit off the soil.
Strawberries like it damp, but so do mealybugs, and they will eat
the berries if they are lying on damp soil.
Now that you have done all of the research and work, and your
plants are growing and begin to flower, it is very tempting to let
the first flowers go to fruit; but it is much better to pinch off
the first set of blossoms so the next set will produce superior
fruit. If you planted June-bearers, also pinch off the first set of
If all goes well, you should be harvesting berries for several
years. Commercial growers plant new plants every year, but that's
not necessary in the home garden. If you planted June-bearing
berries, you'll have new plants to replace the mother plants as
they fail to fruit.
Rose Crawford is a certified garden consultant and a master
composter in Vista. She answers gardening questions every other
week. E-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org or write to "Ask Rose," c/o
Features Dept., North County Times, 207 E. Pennsylvania Ave.,
Escondido, CA 92025.