Strawberries Gardening
When Is The Best Time To Plant Honeoye Strawberries In Maryland?
I have a package of VanBloem Gardens Honeoye Strawberry plants…the package suggests that I plant them outside in Maryland sometime in “April-May”. So I’m guessing that I have to water these plants until then inside? In a pot? Can I just start em’ earlier? Or Will The Frost Kill Em?
Thanks in advance for your guidance.
- The newbie gardener
Light frosts will not kill strawberries. I would say if your last frost is three weeks away, go ahead and plant them. You can also cover them up if it gets too cold, but they should be able to stand 26 degrees farenheit.
Strawberries Gardening
Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden
If you want a home garden crop that will produce for years and will be a favorite with both the kids and adults, try growing strawberries in your garden. Strawberries can be grown in most parts of the country right at home in the garden. Your local nursery will carry varieties that should work for your area. Almost everywhere in the country they will be planted and treated as perennials in the garden, but in some of the hotter parts of the country like parts of Texas they are just treated as annuals and replanted every year.
The first step of course is to pick the type of strawberries that you want to grow. They are generally broken down into three different types.
The most commonly grown are the June bearing varieties. While they don’t truly all bear in June, especially in the different parts of the country, these generally have a peak period of production that only last two to three weeks. However, these tend to be the largest and tastiest of the varieties, explaining their popularity.
There are also the everbearing varieties. Somewhat smaller, these will have productive burst 2 to 3 times a season, and so stretch out harvest season more than the June bearing. These also don’t spread as much as the June bearers.
Finally are the day neutral varieties. These are the most consistent bearers of the bunch, but tend to have smaller fruits than the other two. Once again, they don’t send out as many runners as the June bearers.
Since everbearing and day neutral varieties don’t send out a lot of runners, they are the favorites for use when planting strawberries in containers. This is a favorite way to grow strawberries, and makes it feasible for many who don’t have the room for a strawberry bed. Either a hanging planter or a self watering container on the patio are a couple of popular containers.
If you do want to grow strawberries in the garden, keep in mind that since they are perennials it’s best to set aside a bed for growing them. There are three basic types of beds used to grow strawberries…
About the Author
You can find more information on growing strawberries, including growing strawberries in pots, and a number of other gardening tips like growing Tomatoes upside down at howtogardenguide.com
gardening problem strawberries?
hi i live in the uk and need something that is safe to put on my strawberries which is non toxic as me and kids eat them
i need something to stop the slugs and snails eating them before we get to them lol
You can edge your strawberry beds with copper tape – it reacts with the slime trail of the slugs, and gives them a mild shock so they don’t like to cross it.
You can also try hand-picking them – not much fun, as effective as you’d like to make it, depending on the frequency and thoroughness with which you do it. I understand that allowing free-range chickens to roam through will help, too, though I’ve never tried it.
Over here in the US they sell stuff called Slug Bait – it is just granules that you sprinkle around the bases of your affected plants. Slugs eat that instead of your plants, and it dries them out, eventually killing them.
You can also purchase “slug traps,” or make your own by burying shallow dishes or saucers in the soil near your plants so that the rim of the dish is even with the soil’s surface. Fill the dishes with beer, and the slugs will be attracted to it. They will fall in and drown.
I have had the most personal success with sprinkling salt on the individual ones I find, and with the slug bait and beer traps.
Hope this helps….
Raised Strawberry Beds Finished – Wisconsin Garden Video Blog 174.avi