Strawberries
Don’t throw your strawberry plants away after the first year they produce – they usually can bear berries 3+ years and you can propagate your plants with the runners.
June-bearing
Bigger fruits
2-3 weeks production
Flower buds form in fall
Varieties in early, mid, and late Season
– Earliglow, Chandler, Honeoye, Allstar, Jewel, Sparkle
Everbearing
Smaller fruits
2 production: spring, fall
Flower buds form in spring
Day-neutral varieties only produce fruits <70°F
-Ogallala, Seascape, Tribute, Evie 2
How to start it
The easiest and the most cost-effective way is planting bare roots. Keep it moist with consistent watering and adequate mulching. Fertilize it from year 2 to get good fruit quality.
Requirements
Both June bearing or everbearing strawberries like to be moist and it can be challenging here in summer. Make sure the cultivars you get can survive in the heat in Utah.
Water
Drip line + mulch to keep your soil moist but not soggy.
Soil
Well-drained sandy soil and slightly acidic
Sun/shade
6-8 full sun is required for sweet berries. But avoid the afternoon sun when it’s over 90°F…
Plant with…
- Garlic, onions, thyme,…: repelling bugs
- legumes (beans, peas…): nitrogen fixation
- Borage, lavender: pollination
Don’t plant with…
- Brassicas: nutrition theif
- fennel: inhibit growth
- potato, tomato, egg plant: pest
- melon, mint, peach, apricot, cherry: fungal disease (Verticillium Wilt)
The ways to plant them
Forget about the inspiration you see from Pinterest – growing strawberries in gutters or hanging baskets. It will dry out too fast in the Utah heat in summer….
Raised bed
It provides good drainage and can easily control the soil quality and the spread of strawberry plants.
Matted rows
Strawberries grow densely and runners are freely propagating. Good for June bearing (since they produce more runners.)
Mound/hill
Individual strawberry plants are spaced apart for quality fruits and runners are cut off. Good for everbearing (as they don’t product many runners.)
Vertical/container
Best for people with limited space and allow flexible locations (as you can move in extreme heat).