Growing Strawberries: How to grow and care for strawberry plants Want to begin growing strawberries? A common way of growing strawberries is from transplants of know types with good growth histories.  The strawberry is not solely a fruit, as many believe it to be. Actually, the berry is a member of the rose family. Some growers refer to the strawberry plant as inside out fruit because its seeds grow on outside. During the Middle Ages strawberries were believed to be an aphrodisiac and were served in soups to newlyweds at breakfast.

In the South successful varieties include Douglas, Dover and Toga. If you are growing strawberries in Northern states, Delmarvel and Allstar are recommended.  They are both disease resistant and produce large sized berries.  With only a small gardening area to work with, day neutral and ever bearing varieties are best.

Strawberry cultivation:

When planting in the Southern United States, the ideal time is September through November.  Young Northern producers begin to arrive at garden centers during early fall months. Some varieties can tolerate a light frost and short freeze. Only during light frosts can you expect the flowers and fruit to escape damage.

Fertilizing Growing Strawberries:

Mix 2 ½ pounds of 6-6-6 fertilizer for each 100 square feet of garden space. However, to be accurate, always follow the advice on the product label. Too much fertilizer is never a good idea.

Garden pests and destructive disease:

There are garden pests that find growing strawberries irresistible. Thrips, snails, caterpillars and slugs are known to enjoy the plant. Plant disease you’ll likely encounter are fruit rot and leaf spot.

Many gardeners now prefer natural methods of getting rid of garden pests. A simple method is the use of insecticide soap. A search online will turn up other safe and natural products for use on your growing strawberries.

Harvesting your berries:

Strawberries are one of the first crops to be picked in the garden. Harvest the tasty fruit when it’s mostly red and still firm. If you have a large crop pick the ripened fruit daily. By doing so you’ll beat the birds and insects to the vulnerable fruit.