Strawberries

[gamebird_14]

My friend want to know how long it takes for a Strawberry plant to be able to grow strawberries,
From seed,
a young plant,
a older plant,

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I've only grown strawberries from seeds once. Without much success. They did produce a small crop the second year but I got frustrated with them and pull them out.

Most people buy either bare root or potted plants. These will usually produce the first season planted. Or at least in my experience. Once established my plants have given more than we can ever eat or give away. We end of freezing tons of them. This is from about 40-50 plants, last time I counted.

There are 3 main types of strawberries, June-Bearing, which normally produce one heavy crop over a 3-4 week period. Ever-Bearing which produce 3-4 crops throughout the season and Day-Neutral which produce fruits throughout the season. Typically June-bearing strawberries produce the largest fruits, ever-bearing the most and day neutral the most consistent, IME.

Strawberries are very easy to grow and are relatively disease and pest free. The only thing you have to worry about it cutting them back and covering them in the winter...oh...and birds love strawberries.

Good luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

Only have done from potted plants so I don't know what it is like from seed. I assume bare root is just like pots. Mine all end up fruiting the first year, although some recommend cutting off flowers the first year. I have an established plot that I rotated every 3 years by digging them all up and breaking up the big mother plants. My 20 plants from about 8 years ago are now in the few hundred range.

Slugs here are the biggest issue. I don't cover for winter or really do anything to them. Climate here though is cool and mild year round.

 

[Texas Fluffy Feet]

For some reason or another I always end up getting a new plant every spring. I just keep it in a pot and while they do bloom and produce. It is the tiny berries, not even a bites worth and only a few. Most of them are rotten on the bottom from laying against the soil. I keep them in a good quality potting soil, in a sunny spot and water and fertilize regularly. So what am I doing wrong? I always thought if ever I got a berry off my one plant that was at least a bite and tasted decent I'd make a strawberry patch in the ground and winter them over.

 

[Tutter]

For some reason or another I always end up getting a new plant every spring. I just keep it in a pot and while they do bloom and produce. It is the tiny berries, not even a bites worth and only a few. Most of them are rotten on the bottom from laying against the soil. I keep them in a good quality potting soil, in a sunny spot and water and fertilize regularly. So what am I doing wrong? I always thought if ever I got a berry off my one plant that was at least a bite and tasted decent I'd make a strawberry patch in the ground and winter them over.

What variety are you planting?

To keep them from rotting, and help in other ways, you can use weed netting. Cut an 'X' in it to plant the plants. Or else put straw beneath the plants.

 

[sunnychooks]

There are 3 main types of strawberries, June-Bearing, which normally produce one heavy crop over a 3-4 week period. Ever-Bearing which produce 3-4 crops throughout the season and Day-Neutral which produce fruits throughout the season. Typically June-bearing strawberries produce the largest fruits, ever-bearing the most and day neutral the most consistent, IME.

Are there differences in the taste or sweetness of these 3 types?

 

[Tutter]

A lot of the flavor of strawberries depends, I've found, on varieties, yes, but also growing conditions. For example, how warm the weather is. That doesn't answer your original question, but it's part of it.

Also, there are wild strawberries. I don't know the exact variety they are here, but wild strawberries have the most flavor of any type I've ever tasted. But they are generally very small berries. On the other hand, they dry whole easily, and have a scent strongly of Crunch Berries, from the cereal, when dry.

That all said, we have a lot of wild strawberries on our property. 3 years ago we dug some up, and transplanted them into some ornamental beds up here by the house.

What happened was that they grew in size! The leaves are large, and the fruit is 3 -4 times the size they were, yet still have the wild strawberry flavor. Also, there's been 100% increase in amount of berries per plant.

So if you chose to grow the types which are most like wild strawberries, something like Alpines, and you gave them good conditions, they should have good flavor!

 

[countrygirl4513]

Only have done from potted plants so I don't know what it is like from seed. I assume bare root is just like pots. Mine all end up fruiting the first year, although some recommend cutting off flowers the first year. I have an established plot that I rotated every 3 years by digging them all up and breaking up the big mother plants. My 20 plants from about 8 years ago are now in the few hundred range.

Slugs here are the biggest issue. I don't cover for winter or really do anything to them. Climate here though is cool and mild year round.

Tell me how you are transplanting... do you wait till they die back and do it in the late part of the season? I've got 2 rows of everbearing about 150 long and they are busting out right now. But I want to expand my berries and I've often wondered how you do the transplant from the mother plant. Or could you transplant the runners? After harvesting I let the vines do their thing then when they die back I mow the dead stuff down. I till inbetween the rows too.
Do you straw your berries? If so...how do you go about it? And when do you straw them?