It’s Time to Plan For Next Year’s Strawberries
We at the USARAAI Farm Campus love fresh strawberries! We have a strawberry barrel, built and donated by a friend, which has produced sweet little morsels of flavor just about all summer. The variety is ‘Earli Glo’, from Stark Bros. Nursery. It’s Fall now, and the “mother” plants are producing “daughters”. These new plants will be the best fruit bearers next year.
A great method to utilize these “daughters” is to plant them out from the “mother, as far as the “umbilical” vine will allow, without detaching them. Let them get established, then cut the vine.
A lot of growers set up their fields with three rows planned, before they ever set the first “mother” plant. At the end of the season, they set “daughters” to the left and right of the “mother”, in the side rows. When the “daughters” are established, they often take out the “mother” plants, and compost them. This method continues each season. They can also be reproduced by planting a strawberry fruit, itself.
FAST FACTS ABOUT STRAWBERRIES
the only fruit that sets its seeds on the outside.
not true berries
a member of the rose family
are perennial
many of the ancient societies used them for medicinal, as well as folklore treatments
there are over 100 different species and subspecies
first cultivated in the 17th century, but has been found to have been grown in Rome as far back as 200B.C.
come in several colors
commercially, strawberries are one of the most pesticide-sprayed plants
organic ones are very nutritious
has been used to make paint
flavor depends on the weather (perfect temp is 55-degrees-78-degrees)
is one of the first fruits of spring
there are 200 seeds, average, on a fruit
commercially, strawberries are one of the most pesticide-sprayed plants
organic ones are very nutritious
has been used to make paint
flavor depends on the weather (perfect temp is 55-degrees-78-degrees)
is one of the first fruits of spring
there are 200 seeds, average, on a fruit
So… it’s time to get your catalog out and start shopping for your next strawberries! You’ll find they come in early-bearing, mid, and late, as well as ever-bearing. There are some great mail-order sources, but you might also want to ask around, and find out if anyone is thinning their patch, or has some to share.
They multiply quickly, if they’re healthy, so there should be “daughters” to share every fall. Whether planting in a strawberry tier, or doing the three-row method, keep in mind that you’ll need a place for the “daughters” to grow, and that they will be the best fruit bearers the next season. Enjoy!
The Tennessee Dirtgirl
Sherrie Ottinger
