Spring is a great time for fresh berries, but you don't have rely on your supermarket to enjoy them. Berries are great to have in your garden--for decoration or for topping your cereal on a sunny spring morning. But some are easier to grow than others, and the ideal varieties for you depends on the climate in your area. DIY's The Dirt on Gardening gives you some planting tips on two of the most popularly grown (and eaten!) berries--blueberries and strawberries.
Types of StrawberriesStrawberries are considered the most productive berry of them all and one of the easiest to grow. They require a site that is open to direct sunlight most of the day. Try to avoid very low-lying areas prone to spring frosts. Here are some common varieties of strawberry:
June-bearing produce a large harvest of high quality berries in late spring (figure A).Ever-bearing berries produce large crops in late spring and a separate, smaller crop in fall (figure B).Day-neutral species Considered by some to be the same as ever-bearing, have the longest harvest period--four to eight months.Alpine or "wild" strawberries are great as groundcover or as edging plants in kitchen gardens (figure C). They come in red, white and pale yellow varieties. You should be able to gather small handfuls of small berries in summer.Strawberry Pots
Planting strawberries in specially made strawberry pots is one of the easiest methods for growing them, and they make harvesting the berries easy and convenient. Strawberry pots are shaped like an urn and have open "pockets" up and down the sides. The strawberry plants grow out of the pockets and drape down the side of the pot. These containers are simple, decorative and a great way to grow strawberries if you're limited on garden space.
Choose a pot that will hold a reasonable number of plants, and be sure that the pot has good drainage. Holes in the bottom of the pot are necessary to keep the roots from staying too wet and possibly rotting. Plastic pots are less expensive, but the pot is lightweight and could tip over in high wind. Terra cotta is considered by many to be more attractive, but it's porous so the soil dries out more quickly.
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