Planting strawberries

Strawberry plant with blooming flower

I love strawberries! I decided this spring I was going to start a patch in my garden. I excitedly ordered about 25 bare root plants and planted them. After a few days, most had dried out and within a week all but two plants were dead.

I couldn’t understand what I did wrong. I watered them well. They were in very fertile soil, but they just did not thrive. I did some research and discovered that bare root plants have a failure rate of 15-20 percent. I had no idea! I continued my research and found out that a better choice for me would be purchasing strawberry plugs and planting them in the fall.

Plugs only have a failure rate of 1-2 percent and they already have an established root ball. If you plant them in the fall they will have a harvest in the spring. That’s a win, win, win! Now that I’ve decided to go with plugs I needed to find out which variety would be best suited for my area. These were the varieties available at Ison’s Nursery:

Camarosa—Hardy in Zone 4-8

• One of the most common varieties available

• Large berries

• Good for storing and shipping

• Grow 6-12 inches tall and wide

• Grow well in containers and beds

Chandler—Hardy in Zone 4-8

• Produce large firm berries

• Very popular

• Strong flavor

• Good to eat fresh or preserve

• High yield

Ruby June—Compact variety

• Grow higher off the ground for good airflow

• Strongest June bearing variety

Sweet Charlie—Large sweet berries

• Performs well in areas of high humidity

• Bears early and produces over several weeks

• Produces one to two pints per plant

• Vigorous

• Hardy in zones 5-9

I decided to go with Sweet Charlie. The main reason I chose this strawberry is because everything I read said that it does well in areas with high humidity. And boy do I live in an area with high humidity! I’m really excited about this variety and that I’m planning plugs instead of bare roots. I looking forward to an abundant harvest this spring.

Planting Tips

Choose a location with plenty of sun and well drained soil. Strawberries love soil that has lots of organic matter and a ph in the 6.5 range.

Space plugs 12-18 inches apart and space your rows 3-4 feet apart ( confession: I always plant  closer that recommended—I like to test the boundaries) Water well, but try not to water crown directly.

Fertilize using 1/2 pound of 10-10-10 per 100 square feet worked into the soil before planting.

Mulch well—strawberries are  perennial plants and must survive the winter to produce in the spring. Mulch using a two inch layer of straw or hay in mid November (zone 8b). Keep covered until tops of crowns put on new growth in Spring.

I have prepared my bed and happily await the arrival of my plugs. I’ll keep you updated on my progress!