There’s nothing better than growing your own strawberries! If you’ve ever wondered how to care for strawberry bushes to get a healthy, strawberry patch, here are a few simple but efficient tips for strawberry plant care! Check out this gardening DIY here.
Growing Strawberries
Pick a pot that is at least 24 inches tall so your plants have room to grow. It is best to grow ever bearing strawberries so you have a crop to eat all summer long. Fill your container with soil such as an organic potting mix. You may want to use hanging basket style planters for strawberries that can be found on the market but an ordinary planter will do fine.
Be sure the pot has adequate drainage for water. It is best to start with young seedlings or established plants and not seeds which will take too long to grow. If you have large pot you can put more than one plant inside it but if the pot is smaller use only one plant so the strawberries can get enough sunlight for adequate growth. You can even grow them inside if they get enough sunlight.
Give the plants a good watering but don’t over water the plants and soak them so there is water standing around in pools. Use a high phosphorus liquid fertilizer every week to encourage the plants to flower and start bearing fruit.
Rotate the plants as they grow so the plants get adequate sunlight on all sides. Aphids and spider mites can be a problem for strawberries so use an insecticide soap on them to treat the infestations. You can make homemade soap by using one part soap and 15 parts water which should kill the pests. If they continue to be a problem ask your local garden center for help.
Harvest your strawberries once they are red and fully ripe. Once they produce fruit the plant will put out runners, which you can stick in the pot to grow a new plant or clip them off. They can be eaten fresh or frozen for later use. If you are freezing them, arrange the berries on trays and freeze them in the freezer before putting them in bags. This will keep the berries from sticking together and make them easier to use when you are ready to consume them. Fresh berries should be eaten within a week before they start to spoil.
