DIY Network

Caring for Strawberry Plants From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-101

At the Adams Farms strawberry patch, you get to go behind the scenes of a commercial strawberry farm. Expert Bob Westerfield acts as a guide through the intricacies of watering, fertilizing and weeding strawberry plants, and he offers tips on protecting strawberries from winter freezes.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Watering Requirements

Strawberries planted in the field need moderate to high amounts of water. Strawberries are relatively shallow rooted, with almost all their roots in the top 8" of soil, so deep irrigation is not necessary; instead, give them moderate amounts of water on a regular basis--and do not overwater.

If possible, use a soaker hose (figure A) or a drip irrigation system to water strawberries. That way you will prevent the strawberry foliage from getting wet and thus make the plants less susceptible to foliar disease.

Mulching Strawberries

You should mulch your strawberry bed (figure B) to conserve moisture, to help prevent the spread of disease, to help suppress weeds and to keep berries clean and soil-free. You can use black plastic mulch or organic mulch such pine straw or regular straw.

Fertilizing Strawberries

Some strawberries growers say that if the bed was prepared properly and well fertilized before the strawberries were planted, no additional fertilizer is necessary during the growing season. Other strawberry growers prefer to fertilize regularly, with either liquid fertilizers or with granular 10-10-10, every few weeks during the first half of the growing season.

If you apply granular fertilizer to your strawberry patch, apply when the foliage is dry and avoid getting it on the leaves (figure C). If the fertilizer does get on the leaves, brush it off to prevent leaf burn (figure D).

Runners and Flowers

As strawberries grow, they send out runners. If you're treating strawberries as annuals, you typically pinch off the runners so that the plants can concentrate their energy on fruit development. If you're treating strawberries as perennials, however, you can let the runners grow and develop into daughter plants. About every 12" along the length of the runner a baby, or daughter, plant will develop.

Strawberry plants will flower as soon as they get established in the landscape. For strawberries being treated as annuals, pick off the flowers for the first month so the plant has time to grow strong and sturdy. After that let the flowers develop into berries. For strawberries being treated as perennials, growers pick the flowers off for the first year, which delays the first harvest until the second year.

Providing Winter Protection for Hard Winter Freezes

Strawberries need protection when temperatures drop into the teens. You can use 4"-5"-thick layers of organic mulches such as hay or pine straw, or you can use fabric grow covers to help insulate the plants.

Some varieties of strawberries are better able than others to withstand really cold temperatures, so it's a good idea to check which varieties are tried and true in your climate. Your local cooperative extension service and your local nurseries are usually good sources of this kind of information.