Grow Superb Strawberries
(Page 2 of 5)
You can harvest berries from day-neutral and ever-bearer
strawberries the first year; June-bearers should not be
harvested until their second year. In many areas, if you
grow a combination of these types, you will be able to
harvest your own sun-ripened strawberries from late May to
October every year.
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BEST BACKYARD VARIETIES
You should seek out varieties of these types that are
especially adapted to your region; to learn the names of
tried-and-true local favorites, check with your extension
agent. A few varieties are widely recognized as among the
best tasting and most disease resistant no matter where you
live. These include June-bearers 'Earliglow' and Jewel,'
and day-neutral 'Tristar,' according to Bowling. Her book
lists recommendations by region and includes a chart that
details the disease resistance of common varieties.
Among other popular recommended June-bearers, 'Allstar' has
become the standard midseason variety in the East and the
Midwest, `Honeoye,' also a midseason berry, has a
"distinctive, perfumey" flavor, and 'Red Chief,' another
midseason berry, offers excellent disease resistance. Among
recommended day-neutrals, 'Seascape' is a large fruit with
good flavor for gardeners in the Northwest, but is
relatively new and untested, and 'Tribute' produces large
berries on vigorous plants.
GROWING TIPS
Strawberries may be highly perishable, but they will grow
well in a range of locations; plants produce the best fruit
when grown in full sun and a slightly acidic soil (a pH
between 5.8 and 6.5 is ideal). They are nutrient-demanding
plants, so care must be taken to provide a nutrient-rich
soil high in organic matter. Choose a site with excellent
air circulation and drainage (raised beds are good as long
as the soil doesn't dry out). Planting strawberries in rows
one-plant wide will help sunlight penetrate the entire
plant and increase fruiting. Avoid areas where tomatoes,
potatoes, eggplant, peppers or raspberries have been grown
in the past five years, as these plants can act as hosts
for verticillium wilt, which can attack strawberry plants,
too.
Grubs also bother strawberries by eating their roots, so if
possible avoid making a new strawberry bed where sod
recently has been removed. If the perfect site is nowhere
to be found, you still may avoid potential problems by
planting in raised beds and choosing disease-resistant
varieties, many of which are listed in Bowling's book.
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