strawberries
- Thread starter sky68ou1
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ducks4you
Garden Master
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What zone do you live in? 
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- #3
journey11
Garden Master
sky68ou1 I plant in April. You can also plant in the fall, but they really don't get much time to establish themselves strongly for overwintering.
You've got 2 kinds of strawberries, and they are handled very differently.
June-bearers: These put out a huge crop all at once. Great for canning and preserving. Your first year after planting them, you will pinch all blooms and let them build up their strength. You are supposed to try to keep them back to 4 or 5 runners, but I'll tell you this--they are unstoppable, so I just go with the matted row system (you'll want to get a book or google it probably for a diagram). There's other ways to do it, but matted row you can just till to keep it under control and in rows. Your June bearers, planted in April, will not bear fruit until June the following year.
Ever-bearer: These will produce steadily throughout the summer right up until frost (with a bit of a lull during ~July). With 25 plants, you should get a 2-3 pints a week. Good for just eating on fresh or making an occasional pie. Good for keeping kids busy too! LOL On your everbearers, you will want to constantly pinch off ALL runners, but since they don't send them out as vigorously as june-bearers do, this really isn't all that much work. In the spring after you've first planted them, you will also pinch off all the first blooms. Then about August they'll start blooming again, and you can let these develop into berries and they will keep going til frost. I like the ever-bearers best for this reason. It became quite the anticipated daily ritual for my toddler and I to go out to the patch and get our strawberries. They never made it to a pie--we'd eat them all on the spot.
Now your ever-bearers if kept healthy will produce for about 4-5 years. June bearers, once you get your patch started will bear best on runners the following year, not the original plants (which is why you will want to till under the old designated row and let the runners start a new one.)
There is different management techniques to consider, so I would really say get a book on the subject (try the library) or consult your county ag extension agent. Some people will buy new and replace their ever-bearers every year to reduce the chance of disease. Some will take healthy runners each year and start a new row, cycling out on a 5 year/5 row plan.
Just starting out (and for sooner payout!) I would recommend you get ever-bearers. For about $9/25 plants, it will be one of the best berry investments you can make!
June-bearers are more what you find at U-picks. Good book to read on the subject is Successful Berry Growing, by Gene Lodgson.- Thread starter
- #5
is there a particular name of the strawberries you like or a place i could order online?journey11 said:
I plant in April. You can also plant in the fall, but they really don't get much time to establish themselves strongly for overwintering.
You've got 2 kinds of strawberries, and they are handled very differently.
June-bearers: These put out a huge crop all at once. Great for canning and preserving. Your first year after planting them, you will pinch all blooms and let them build up their strength. You are supposed to try to keep them back to 4 or 5 runners, but I'll tell you this--they are unstoppable, so I just go with the matted row system (you'll want to get a book or google it probably for a diagram). There's other ways to do it, but matted row you can just till to keep it under control and in rows. Your June bearers, planted in April, will not bear fruit until June the following year.
Ever-bearer: These will produce steadily throughout the summer right up until frost (with a bit of a lull during ~July). With 25 plants, you should get a 2-3 pints a week. Good for just eating on fresh or making an occasional pie. Good for keeping kids busy too! LOL On your everbearers, you will want to constantly pinch off ALL runners, but since they don't send them out as vigorously as june-bearers do, this really isn't all that much work. In the spring after you've first planted them, you will also pinch off all the first blooms. Then about August they'll start blooming again, and you can let these develop into berries and they will keep going til frost. I like the ever-bearers best for this reason. It became quite the anticipated daily ritual for my toddler and I to go out to the patch and get our strawberries. They never made it to a pie--we'd eat them all on the spot.
Now your ever-bearers if kept healthy will produce for about 4-5 years. June bearers, once you get your patch started will bear best on runners the following year, not the original plants (which is why you will want to till under the old designated row and let the runners start a new one.)
There is different management techniques to consider, so I would really say get a book on the subject (try the library) or consult your county ag extension agent. Some people will buy new and replace their ever-bearers every year to reduce the chance of disease. Some will take healthy runners each year and start a new row, cycling out on a 5 year/5 row plan.
Just starting out (and for sooner payout!) I would recommend you get ever-bearers. For about $9/25 plants, it will be one of the best berry investments you can make!
4grandbabies
Deeply Rooted
I love Tristar for everbearing.
Since we are "starting over in a new place this year, that is One I am planing in the spring for sure.
Since we are "starting over in a new place this year, that is One I am planing in the spring for sure.
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- #7
4grandbabies
Deeply Rooted
I would check miller nurseries first then maybe parks seeds.. they are in many of the garden seed and plant catalogs, I should have mentioned tribute strawberries also, they are a larger berry, but tristar may have the best flavor.sky68ou1 said:
journey11
Garden Master
I think I either got mine from Miller's or Jungs. I got Ozark Beauty for everbearers and Sparkle for June-bearers. I highly favor the Ozark Beauty for this area. My FIL grew them and did so well I saw no reason to experiment.
You'll want to base your selection on where you live though. Ask around locally or try the county extension guys for recommendations.
You'll want to base your selection on where you live though. Ask around locally or try the county extension guys for recommendations.
vfem
Garden Addicted
I also purchased the Ozark Beauty everbearers. They were so worth the times and money. I put them in a little late last year, but end of March-April would be good for you. I'm also in 7B NC.
They send off a lot of runners, and this year I am going to transplant some of those runners around the yard to have more strawberry beds. Maybe even around the chicken coop as a treat when they are running around all day.
They send off a lot of runners, and this year I am going to transplant some of those runners around the yard to have more strawberry beds. Maybe even around the chicken coop as a treat when they are running around all day.
