The strawberry – red, juicy, and sweet, fun to pick and every kids favorite fruit! This special berry deserves recognition for sparking our memory with their sweet aroma, setting us back to a time spent at a u-pick farm or playing in the garden with our grandparents.
Though the earliest strawberry harvests are more than 2 months away, late February might seem an odd time to be celebrating these sweet edibles; but it’s an excellent time to plant them.
Strawberries are among the easiest berries to grow at home, and take much less effort and space than other fruits to have a decent yield. Under ideal conditions, yields can be 1 to 2 pounds of fruit per plant, and spaced about a foot to a foot-and-a-half apart – or can be planted somewhat closer in pots or planters. Plantings are usually productive for about 4 years.
Day-neutral varieties are preferred by many home gardeners. They ignore day length and will produce a nearly continuous yield of tasty treats throughout the warm season, from as early as May to as late as October. On the other hand, if you are looking for a concentrated harvest for jam making or freezing, June-crop varieties yield as much or more total weight of berries, concentrated into a 5-6 week cycle from June through early July – but will not produce the first year.
It is the peak of strawberry planting season now – bare root plants offer a wide selection and the best prices of the year. Celebrate National Strawberry Day by planting some in your garden or on your patio to enjoy this summer, and for summers to come.
Bare root varieties available now:
Day neutral – Everbearing variety
Day neutral – Everbearing variety
Day neural – Everbearing variety
June bearing variety