How to grow Strawberry

Fragaria x ananassa

  • Strawberries prefer acidic soil (5.3-6.5) but will grow outside of this range.
  • They like to be kept moist but not wet – ensure water levels are consistent especially when fruiting.
  • Mulching will help retain moisture as well as keep their roots cool.
  • In the first year, pick off blossoms to prevent fruiting and encourage growth of the plant’s root system: this will pay dividends in the second year as your harvests will be much greater.
  • Remove weeds from around plants throughout the season to discourage pests and disease.
    *Dormant strawberries can withstand cold winter temperatures, however late frosts can damage flowers reducing yield or if low and late enough can even kill whole plants.
    . Mulch with stray as the flowers open, to keep the berries off the ground and away from the slugs

Growing Strawberry from seed

Although strawberries are most commonly grown from runners, it is possible to grow from seed. Germinate on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Do not cover the seed.

Sow at a depth of approx. 0.0 inches (0.0 cm) and aim for a distance of at least 11.7 inches (30.0 cm) between Strawberry plants. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 14°C / 57°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Strawberry

Ensure you leave enough space for the plant to sprawl and plant out only when the danger of frosts have passed.
Can be planted in a pot or trough grow bag or hanging basket
Or started off under glass to make early flowers and lengthen the cropping season.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Strawberry is a hardy plant.

Harvesting Strawberry

Harvest only fully ripe berries, as they will not ripen after being picked. Harvesting should start roughly 4-6 weeks after blossoming.

Always cut from the stem instead of pulling the berry from the plant to minimise damage to the strawberry plant.

You can store the picked berries in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but they will taste at their best when first picked.
Freezing berries is an option, if you have too many to deal with all at once. However the structure of the berry does not keep well on thawing and frozen berries are best used to make jam or smoothies

How long does Strawberry take to grow?

These estimates for how long Strawberry takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Strawberry to germinate?
13 days

Average 13 days | Min 7 days | Max 37 days (13)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Strawberry?
+ 29 days

Average 29 days | Min 12 days | Max 415 days (5)

Days to Maturity How long until Strawberry is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 105 days

Average 105 days | Min 2 days | Max 299 days (356)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Strawberry?
= 147 days

Strawberry Etymology

The name “strawberry” is said to originate from the fact that they were often mulched using straw. Another possible origination of the name is a derivation of ‘strayberries’ in reference to their runners straying from the mother plant. A third possibility is that it is from the word ‘streow’ or hay from the berries ripening at the same time the hay was harvested. 2

Fragaria is latin for strawberry, ananassa means ‘like ananas’ (a genus best known for the species Ananas comosus, the pineapple), referring to the delicious smell of hybrid strawberries.

Other names for Strawberry

Lepinit.munting sapinit

Misspellings: Strawberries, strabery, Starwberry

Footnotes

1 Plants for a future

2 USDA history of the strawberry


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