What should I do for my strawberries this coming summer?

Question

We have a small strawberry patch, and right now it's full of brown dried leaves from last year. I don't think I should pull out the old plants, or should I trim them maybe to the ground? Also, they get very thick in the summer, wondering if a periodic thinning (pulling out some of the plants) should be done throughout the summer?

Answer 1

In addition to mulching, you'll want to put out a good fertilizer for berries. Look for an organic fertilizer with an NPK of about 6-8-4. The first number is nitrogen and a 6 is sufficient for greening power on berries. The best mulch to use for berries is hay, cuz it doesn't break down very fast and if your berries touch the ground they will rot. Good luck, I hope you have a great crop this season!!

Answer 2

I primarily agree with juncogirl. Mulch your plants in the winter, with straw or oak leaves, not hay! Hay contains grass and weed seeds, which will make your life more difficult (when those seeds germinate). Fertilize your plants lightly with a well balanced fertilizer... ideally an organic one. If you don't already have one you're using look at ESPOMA tomatotone.

Strawberries are produced (best) on young plants, a year old. Professional farms replant their strawberry plants yearly. As you should do too. After runners form and new plants begin to root in, pull out and discard the 'mother' plant. Thin the patch in late summer or fall, and mulch once it gets cold. Do not use any-old leaves (they compress when they get wet, smothering the plants beneath), use either straw or Oak leaves.

I hope that this helps
Good luck

Answer 3

Strawberry plants need to be heavily mulched to prevent frost damage from killing the plants. You should remove all diseased plants, ie, the ones that have brown leaves. Strawbery pants should also have lots of room between plants. The heavy concentration that you talk about should be thinned so that each plant is getting maximum sun and water. The old plants should be pulled out. I find that in a home grown strawberry bed, it is best to put in new plants each year and get rid of the old. Strawberries are susceptible to disease. The older the plant, the more weak the plant has become. Mulch here is key. You need at least 12 inches between plants. Because of disease, our local farmers replace their beds every year.

Answer 4

Strawberries are solar flora so that's maximum suitable to maintain the strawberries outdoors in a sunny region. in case you prefer you could cover the strawberries with mulch and with a touch fertilizer and a few water it is going to with a bit of luck be typical lower back. good good fortune! =)

Answer 5

The best thing you can do for your strawberry plants is to mulch them. They will do much better if they don't have to compete with weeds, and are protected from the damp ground. You'll have better strawberries, and a higher yield when you mulch them properly.