Does anything embody the sweetness of summer more than picking ripe strawberries from your garden? Create your berry patch now for summer harvest!
Strawberries are divided into three types; June bearing, Everbearing and Day-neutral. June-bearing cultivars bear fruit in early summer, and are less cold-hardy and more susceptible to damage by late frosts. If frost is predicted, cover blooming plants.
Cultivars are Honeoye, Guardian and Kent. Everbearing cultivars such as Quinault, Ogallala and Fort Laramie, produce two crops, in early summer and again in the fall. Having smaller berries and less abundant harvests at one time, these varieties are more cold-hardy and reliable. Day-neutral varieties flower all summer in six-week cycles, providing an ongoing light harvest. These hungry varieties, Tribute, Tristar and Fern, benefit from frequent, light fertilizing.
Strawberries thrive in soil that is high in organic matter and drains well. They need full sun and protection from wind. Reflected heat can stress the plants. They are great candidates for raised beds. Strawberries are shallow rooted, therefore weed control is important.
Planting depth is critical: Plant the crown at soil level. If planted too deep the crowns may rot, or too high the plant will dry out. Plant bare-root plants in early March or early April, but protect from frost. Starter plants can be planted from mid-April.
June-bearing varieties create a matted row system; space 18-24 inches apart in rows 4 feet apart. Runners will fill in the gaps — maintain by removing any runners that exceed five to six plants per square foot. Remove all runners that are produced after Sept. 1 so energy goes into the roots. Remove all flowers the first year in order to produce a better yield the second year.
Plant Everbearing and Day-neutral varieties in hills spaced about 1 foot apart, in rows 3 feet apart. Remove the first flush of flowers and all runners as they develop. Develop new plants and expand your patch by pinning runners down so offspring plants produce their own roots. Once a good root system has formed, cut the runners from the mother plant and pot to develop into more mature plants to planted in the fall.
Strawberries benefit from applications of water-soluble fertilizer or 1 cup per 100 square feet of slow release 21-0-0 fertilizer watered in. Because strawberries are shallow-rooted, water when the top few inches of the bed are dry. Plants may need as much as 2 inches of irrigation per week, spaced out every 3-5 days. To reduce the risk of spreading disease, water in the morning so foliage can dry. Mulch with straw in winter to protect plants and remove in late spring after the danger of frost has passed.
Pick fruit frequently at the peak of ripeness and enjoy.
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Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners – El Paso County.
Strawberry plants. Photo by Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener (Fredricka Bogardus, Colorado Master Gardener)
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