It is no surprise that unfermented , fragrant strawberries are the most wide cultivated belittled yield in the United States . In fact , annual usance of strawberries is more than seven pound sterling per head , grant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture . At only 25 calories per half loving cup , this humble - calorie fruit is an excellent rootage of vitamins , mineral , character , anthocyanins , flavonoids , and phenolic acids . That ’s the good news . The big news program is that the fruits are soft and highly perishable .
Most strawberry mark eat up in the U.S. are grown commercially in California or Florida and shipped all over the country . To compensate for their delicate nature , the Berry are harvested for shipping before they are in full right , which impacts the flavor . Once picked , they do not ripen further . Also , most commercially grow strawberries are report to be heavy spray for pest and diseases . Growing your own strawberries allows you to pick them at their peak of flavor and control what chemicals , if any , to use on your plants .
ABOUT strawberry mark
The strawberries we enjoy these Clarence Day are the result of a cross ( Fragaria x ananassa ) that occurred in the previous 1700s between our wild aboriginal Virginia strawberry ( Fragaria virginiana ) and a variety from South America ( Fragaria chiloensis ) . This well-chosen marriage of the two metal money ultimately resulted in literally 100 of new strawberry mark cultivar that are wide dispense globally . The plants are herbaceous perennials with an anatomy and outgrowth drug abuse that are unique among fruit plant life as the accompanying picture point :
TYPES OF STRAWBERRIES
Strawberry plants are categorized as eitherJune - bearing ( short - day)orday achromatic . They may count identical , but they differ in increment habits as well as unfolding and fruiting characteristics . The eccentric you choose to grow count on your anticipated U.S. for them .
June - bearing ( short - day).This is the most democratic case of strawberry mark grown in the U.S. The “ short - day ” name refers to the condition under which the works forms flush buds . The buds are form in the fall when solar day are shorter than 14 hr or when temperature are below 60 ° degree Fahrenheit . June - bearing industrial plant farm one great crop of large , juicy Berry over a catamenia of several weeks during May or June . The actual escort when the Berry are ripe may fluctuate from year to year depending on weather conditions and the cultivar being grown . By engraft several cultivar of June - bearing strawberry , it ’s possible to reach out the season a bit . For exercise , Camino Realripens early to mid - season followed byChandlerand thenFlavorfestwith some overlap between cultivar .
Once June - bearing flora land up fruit , they spend the rest of the get season producing tons of runner , which lead in unexampled “ daughter ” plants with their own foliage , peak buds , and fruit .
Advantages of mature June - bear cultivar :
Disadvantages of growing June - bearing cultivars :
Day - impersonal . This character of strawberry mark is not determine by day duration . In other dustup , day - neutral plants flower and set fruit throughout the entire develop season , which is undecomposed news for strawberry lover who want a steady provision rather than one large crop in June . The plant do stop producing flowers and Berry when summertime temperatures are above 86 ° F , but they pop out producing again once temperatures cool down . Day - inert strawberry mark are smaller than the June - bearing type because the flora must exert a lot of Energy Department to keep producing throughout the growing time of year . Blossoms should be removed from first year plants through June . As of July , the plants should be reserve to bloom and set fruit for the eternal sleep of the grow time of year . That way , you get a unattackable , vigorous plant as well as a crop of berry from previous summer through crepuscle of the first year . In their second year , day - electroneutral works originate producing a medium - size of it craw about the same meter as the June - suffer variety . Then , they bring out another small crop around mid - summer and a third harvest in recent summer through free fall . Albion , Tristar , andSan Andreasare examples of daylight - neutral cultivars .
Advantages of growing day - neutral cultivars :
disadvantage of produce day - neutral cultivars :
Everbearing . There is some muddiness between day - neutral strawberries and a case called “ everbearing . ” The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably because both character produce more than one craw per year . Despite the name , everbearing cultivars produce only two crops of strawberries per yr – one good - sized craw in other summer and a diminished one in previous summer with a opening between the two . Also , this type does n’t produce many runners . Everbearing cultivars have been mostly interchange by newer day - indifferent cultivars that bear fruit all time of year long , produce more runners , are more productive , and give rise better quality fruit . Ozark BeautyandQuinaultare examples of the everbearing type .
Alpine . This is a type of daytime - neutral strawberry mark that turn all time of year long , but it is a different species altogether ( Fragaria vesca ) . This European variety show looks like to the tiny wild strawberry that grow here in the U.S. The fruit are very small and cone - mold with an vivid strawberry flavor . They do n’t spread out by runner like other sort do , so the plants are easier to manage . Alpine strawberries are not typically grown commercially because the fruit is too small and slight . However , because of their remarkable flavor , they are worth trying in the plate garden . Alexandriais an example of an Alpine variety .
CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GROWING STRAWBERRIES
Strawberry plants are compact in size of it and take up very trivial space in the garden . They are ideal for homeowner with limited garden quad to develop . The flora can be grow in a muckle on a cheery terrace , a windowpane box seat , a hanging basket , a barrel , a strawberry pot , or in a pyramid shaped planter , which can be design to fit the available outer space .
Whether you plan to get strawberries in a traditional garden bottom , a raised layer , or in some type of container , the ethnical requirements are fundamentally the same .
establish A STRAWBERRY layer
The Virginia Cooperative Extension advise planting virus - free strawberry sparking plug in belated fall or sleeping crown in early bounce about three to four hebdomad before the average date of the last frost , which is broadly April 15 to 25 in USDA geographical zone 7a . If you may inspect plant life before you buy them , look for specimens with a crown diameter of at least 1/2 ” or more . Plants of that sizing will establish faster and produce runners earlier than industrial plant with a smaller crest diameter .
Before planting the stopple or crown in the inclined bed , check that they are well hydrated and not dry out out . A soaking in piddle for about 1/2 hour before planting may be good .
Space plant at least a metrical foot or more aside in words that are about 2 to 3 feet asunder . put each plant life in the planting fix so that the base of the crownwork isat territory leveland the roots are just covered with ground . The musical theme is to forfend planting the crowns too shallowly or too deeply . Before cover the root with land , spread out them out , backfill with soil , and then firm the filth over the theme to prevent air pockets .
HARVESTING STRAWBERRIES
Strawberries are normally ready for harvest about 30 day after flush . Once a strawberry bend completely violent with no white exhibit , the color signals that the kale message is at its highest and the flavor is at its peak . defy the enticement to foot a berry that still has a white spot at the point . Once pick , the berry will not continue to ripen and will not be as flavourful as a in full advanced specimen .
To avoid bruising the fruits as you harvest them , do n’t clutch and tug them from their root . Instead , either purloin or trim them from the stem . result the green cap attached as well as a bit of the stem . This helps prolong the life story of the Charles Edward Berry . Harvest all advanced berries , even the bad or discredited ones . Any mature ones left on the vine are an invitation for insect plague and fungal diseases .
Because strawberries are fragile and easy bruised , do n’t pile them too deeply in containers . Refrigerate the berries unwashed until you are quick to apply them . Then , gently rinse and pat them ironical just before using .
SEASONAL forethought OF THE STRAWBERRY bottom
To keep a strawberry seam respectable and productive throughout the farm time of year , supervise it for wet and nutrient requirements , look for sign of insect or pest damage , and keep it weeded and otherwise well maintain . A general sustentation agenda is provide below . line up the schedule as require to accommodate weather and growing conditions .
MARCH :
APRIL :
MAY :
JUNE :
JULY :
Aug :
SEPTEMBER :
OCTOBER :
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER :
TROUBLESHOOTING
PESTS – Strawberry plants may be bothered by aphids , mites , Nipponese beetles , thrips , slugs , and snail . To understate damage , practice good garden sanitisation by remove Mary Jane , supergrass , and flora dust . Organic solutions let in handpicking pests such as beetles , sluggard and snails or directing a warm spraying of water to dislodge aphids , mites and other smaller pest . utilize floating run-in covers to protect plant from Nipponese beetles . Avoid planting strawberries near onions or garlic , which might draw thrip . For extensive entropy on vulgar pests and diseases of strawberry mark plants with lots of good picture , visit theplantvillage.psu.edu/topics/strawberrywebsite .
DISEASES – Fungal diseases such as Verticillium wilt can also be an effect . Many problems can be forfend or greatly reduced by buying certified disease - detached plants from a reputable nursery . Also , just atmosphere rate of flow and elevation above grade in raise beds help cut down fungal disease . Avoid ride a newfangled bed for strawberries where you ’ve acquire shameful raspberries or members of the nightshade family ( tomato , potatoes , black pepper and eggplant ) that go through problem with Verticillium wilting in the past times . Place straw around plant life to keep ripening berries from touching the soil . Keep the plants picked of all ripe and rotting yield and withdraw any foliage that appears diseased . As plant begin to decline , which usually occur after about three years , substitute them with new plants . For more information on common fungal diseases of strawberry and recommended treatments , see Clemson Cooperative Extension publication onGrowing StrawberriesHGIC-1405 .
REJUVENATING A STRAWBERRY BED
Well - tended June - assume strawberry mark plants produce lots of runners , which can produce into a thick-skulled flatness of root and foliage . As the bed becomes crowded , the plants farm small berries that can be unmanageable to find under the sound leafage . To correct the job , restore the bed about every three years . This should be done soon after the harvest time is finished so that the plants have prison term to spring up raw leaves and set efflorescence bud for next yr ’s harvest .
To regenerate a June - behave strawberry bed , get by removing any mulch and locoweed from the bed . Clip or mow the tops of the plants to within 1 ” to 1 - 1/2 ” of the crown . glance over up and absent all clipped leaf . If you design to keep the plants in rowing , use a hoe , spade , or manus trowel to narrow the rows to about 12 ” widely . Thin the plants within the rows to one every 6 ” to 8 ” apart in all directions , transfer the sure-enough ( female parent ) plants but prevent the levelheaded and most vigorous of the runner ( daughter ) plants . fertilise the plant with a quickly soluble nitrogen fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate at 0.25 to 0.50 pound or apply 1 to 2 pounds of a balanced 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer per 100 ft of row and water in well . This will promote robust new top increase and new runners . As runner plants come out , dislodge them as necessary so that they stay within the rows . Keep the bed weeded and give the plants at least 1 in of water per hebdomad during dry spells . Renew the mulch with the onrush of freeze weather condition .
SUMMARY
The merits of growing your own strawberries ca n’t be overdraw . Because the plants are so little proportional to other fruits , even the householder with no available horticulture space can turn strawberries in a container . If you ’re not certain what character of strawberry to spring up , experiment . farm several cultivars that bring forth fruit early , mid , and former time of year . The time and movement put into vex strawberry off to the good potential start will reap sweet rewards . upright siting , good disease - resistant cultivar choices , right plant density , and good sustentation are all central to keeping a strawberry bottom healthy , productive , and enjoyable for twelvemonth to come .
Cover photo of hemangioma simplex in basketball hoop : By Pat Scrap from Pixabay
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“ Homegrown Berries , ” A Timber Press Growing Guide ( Timber Press , 2014 )
“ The Strawberry Growing Master Manual,”strawberryplants.orgwebsite
get Strawberries , Clemson Cooperative Extension PublicationHGIC 1405
Growing Strawberries , Pennsylvania State Extension clause
Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden , Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact SheetFS097 .
Renovating Strawberries in the Home Garden , The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service PublicationSP284 - B.
Small Fruit in the Home Garden , Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication426 - 840 .
Strawberry , Plantvillage , https://plantvillage.psu.edu / topics / hemangioma simplex / infos
