How to Plant Strawberries in Spring Correctly for a Juicy, Flavorful Harvest
Strawberries are the first fruit of the year, ripening in May, and are very sought after for their wonderful aroma. Growing them in your garden will bring you huge satisfactions, as you will enjoy this great spring fruit grown naturally. The best time for planting strawberries is in spring, after the first week of April until the end of the month. Here’s how to plant strawberries in spring correctly, to get that natural exquisite flavor from your own garden.
You can plant strawberries in autumn, between the 15th of September and the 15th of October, in spring, between the 10th and the 30th of April, or even in summer, in June and July. Best results are obtained with a spring plantation though, but only starting the following year.
The most frequently grown strawberry cultivars in Romania are Premial and Red Gauntlet. It’s best to buy the seedlings from a nursery, to make sure they are in good health.
How to plant strawberries in spring. Prepare the soil
The soil has to be deeply ploughed in autumn or at the beginning of winter. Fertilization is also required at that time, but you can add some phosphorous and potassium in spring just to have the right amount.
So the soil you plant in has to be ploughed at 12 inches in depth and thoroughly minced. It also has to be pretty moist, so do the planting after it rains or after you drip irrigate for a few hours.
How to plant strawberries in spring. Prepare the plants
Trim the roots at about 4 inches and remove any dry, torn or otherwise affected leaves from the seedlings.
Make some mud, from soil and water, as thick as sour cream, and sink the roots in it before planting.
You have to do the planting while the roots are still wet.
How to plant strawberries in spring
You can plant strawberries observing either of the following spacing indications:
- in rows, with 8 – 12 inches between the plants and 23 – 35 inches between rows
- in double rows, with the same distance between plants and 15 – 35 inches between pairs of rows
When planting, leave the central bud above the ground and make sure the roots stand perfectly straight in the hole.
Then the soil should be well settled around the plant, so it doesn’t come out when pulling.
Water the plants well when you are finished.
When they bloom that same year, you should remove the flowers, so the roots develop well and you get a much better harvest starting the following year.
HERE‘s a list of ever bearing strawberry cultivars which you might find useful.
Credits: horticultorul.ro, agrointel.ro, gradina-online.ro, lataifas.ro
Photo credits: agrointel.ro, horticultorul.ro
