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Growing Luscious Strawberries. I used the phrase growing 'luscious' strawberries because that adjective is rare with store bought strawberries! But, not if you grow your own! Part of the problem with supermarket strawberries is our demand for them to be available all year round - so the growing is forced, the plant modified and the result is loss of full flavour. I also wonder how much of their nutritional value is compromised compared to home grown ones. The larger ones - which often look good and inviting are renowned for being poor in flavour. Of course, the new cultivars are claimed to have both desirable qualities - size and flavour - but I am yet to be convinced. How To Grow Strawberries Strawberries can be grown from the tropics down to sub-polar regions, obviously with different care requirements. Common to all areas though is good well-drained, friable soil that is well composted and mulched. For the home grower, you can plant in a dedicated garden bed or in pots. Strawberries are herbaceous - which simply means that the stems and leaves die off to ground level at the conclusion of the growing season, but return in the next season. They produce runners in the summer, which can be cut off and planted elsewhere for more plants. Plant size will vary, but some varieties may get to 18 inches tall by 36 inches wide - so if growing in pots, choose a smaller plant, unless you have biggish pots. Make the beds raised or mounded up. Place straw around the plants to keep the fruit clean and to stop moisture creating fungal issues and rotting the fruit. Commercial growers use black plastic, but I straw is better at home as it means less soil renewal work when the plant has finished producing the fruit for the season. Avoid planting strawberries where you have previously grown tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants and other berries in the last three years as fungal diseases from these plants may still be present and infect your new plantings. A recommended system is to use a 3 year rotation system. Establish 3 beds if you have the room. The first year the new plants in Bed 1 will be very productive and will produce runners. Take runners from bed 1 - put into bed 2 and develop it. Put runners from 1 and 2 into bed 3. By
then bed 1 will need a rest and leave it for a couple of years before re-planting. You can try soil change over, but that is a lot of work. Like-wise with pot growing - change the soil annually. Recommended varieties: Cabot (late, mid season), Kent (high yields), Tristar (Summer into fall), Veestar (early season) Harvest They will flower from July to September generally. Wait until the strawberry is about three quarters ripe and then pick to beat the snails and birds getting to them before you do!
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