Gardeners are often curious about the expected amount of strawberry production per plant to understand how many strawberry trees they need to grow to fulfill their demand. Although many factors are involved in producing strawberries, if optimal conditions are provided, strawberry trees can bear many fruits in the growing season. Strawberries usually grow in warm sunny weather. Hence, March to April is the ideal time for a strawberry plant.
Different types of strawberries demand different ways of caring. Some of the fundamental factors you should take care of include soil, watering, temperature, sunlight, etc., for strawberry gardening at your home.
Strawberry: Types and Production Quantity
To grow strawberries at your home, you should consider these three species.
1. June-Bearing Strawberry Plant
This strawberry plant produces a large concentrated quantity of strawberries from the middle of June to early July.
2. Ever Bearing Strawberry Plant
The ever-bearing plants give birth to crops twice a year: one during early summer and the second during early fall.
3. Day Neutral Strawberry Plant
This strawberry plant will bear fruits throughout a significant part of the growing season.
Among the three species of these plants, June-bearing strawberries grow most crops within a brief period. A day-neutral strawberry species called the woodland strawberry bear sweet little fruits. A strawberry plant of woodland species or alpine strawberry produces two to three berries weekly during the growing season.
How to Grow Strawberries in your Home Garden
1. Choose the Correct Type of Strawberries
You can consider planting ever-bearing strawberries if you want a longer strawberry growing season. This type of strawberry can be cultivated for an entire season. These strawberries can be harvested once in early autumn and once in early summer. Though having an inferior quality compared to day-neutral strawberries, these are a viable option for gardeners looking for more than one harvest.
June-bearing strawberries can produce a lot of fruits within a brief period. Therefore, they can be a preferable choice for short-time gardeners. Based on their planting time, these plants can offer you crops from mid-June to early July. Though their bloom does not last long, they hold the most fruits.
A choosable alternative to everbearing strawberries can be day-neutral strawberries, as they also give fruit throughout the harvest season. The time to harvest day-neutral strawberries includes June, mid-July, and late August.
Alpine strawberries are more accessible to plant and maintain due to their smaller size than any other strawberry plant.
2. Pick Up The Right Container
Hanging woven baskets are appropriate for growing these plants. These woven baskets contain a string to hang them. A 14-inch basket will be capable of being four plants. You can also grow them in the usual gardening pots.
3. Fill Half of the Basket with Compost and Potting Mix
● Next, keep the basket or pot in an open area and pour the potting mix into the basket’s bottom half for your roots to grow enough.
● Consider mixing some soil-based compost to provide nutrients to the plants.
● The ratio of the potting mix and compost must be 1:1
● Ensure include water-holding granules and fertilizers in the soil.
● You can also add some slow-release feed granules in the ground to offer extra nourishment.
4. Finally, Sow the Strawberry Plants into the Soil
● The final step of how to plant strawberries involves sowing the plants into the soil.
● First, fill a big tub with a few inches or centimeters of water. Let the roots of your plants absorb water far in advance so that the plants can be sowed conveniently.
● Slowly move the roots away from each other so they do not get stuck at the soil’s bottom. Strawberries with loose roots are easier to plant in the basket.
● Keep a little space between the plants and plant them surrounding the basket or pot’s rim.
● Try maintaining a minimum distance of 25 cm or 10 inches between the plants.
● Make sure to plant the trees so that the upper part of the root balls is one inch below the basket’s rim to have enough room for breathing beneath the soil.
Buy Fruit Seeds
FAQs
How to grow strawberries from seeds?
Take a seeding tray and put the fertilized potting mix into it. Then scatter the seeds into the tray. Ensure you keep the tray in a well-lit room or area to receive sufficient sunlight; in two to three weeks, you will notice the seeds germinating and little seedlings growing from it.
Do the plants require full sunlight to grow?
The total sun requirement varies from species to species. However, a strawberry plant needs six to eight hours of sunlight for its growth. However, please pay attention to the fact that they do not get too hot as the fruit is at risk of being sunburnt.
What should be the frequency of watering the plants?
A strawberry plant needs to be watered daily and demands a good amount of water during the summer and fruit-bearing seasons.
Are you looking for plants, seeds, oil, fertilizer, or other items to start strawberry farming in your home garden? Then head to Ugaoo, a one-stop solution to purchase all the essential gardening materials for the budding gardener.
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