I love gardening and I love strawberries but I don't grow them here. Grew 'em in Texas and will grow them here at some point. When growing strawberries, there are so many things to decide and so much that can go wrong. Here's a few tips:

For success:

1.) Good soil is essential. Strawberries need a good sandy loam soil in order to thrive. If you have soil that is mostly clay or silt, you will have to amend it heavily. The recommended "formula" for strawberry soil in the southern U.S. is 50% sand. 25% peat moss and 25% soil.

2.) Strawberries need good drainage. Raised beds that are six inches above the normal grade of the garden are what is recommended.

3.) Irrigation is essential. Drip irrigation is recomended because it lessens the amount of water that gets on the leaves and this helps lessen disease problems. Strawberry roots are very shallow and will have to be watered often. How often will depend on all those variables like how much it is raining, the pan evaporation rate, etc. Some people like to use sprinklers on their strawberry beds in late winter/early spring when they are first planted to help get the roots off to a good start. It is usually too cool at that point in time for disease to be a huge worry. Then, as it warms up, they switch to drip irrigation to keep moisture off the leaves.

4. Feed your plants for good production. Don't give them too much nitrogen though or you'll have lots of leaves and little berries. You can give them any fertilizer that has a 3-1-2 ratio. Feed when you plant them.

5. Set the strawberry plants at the right depth in the soil. Planting instructions usually come with the berries and show how to do this. Basically you set the mid-point of the plant's crown right at the soil line. Plant too deeply and they will rot. Plant too high (with the whole crown above the soil line) and they will dry out and die.

6.If you can set out your plants on a cloudy day, that is preferred. It gives them a small time to adjust before they have to deal with the bright rays of the sun.

7. Sprinkle irrigate every day or so for the first couple of weeks if it is not raining. This helps the shallow roots grow and keeps them from drying out.

8. It is best to use the Matted Row System of spacing, planting, thinning, etc. I think our winters are kind of cold for the Annual System, unless you are growing them in a hoophouse.

9. Diseases! All strawberries, even those bred for disease resistance, will have some problems with fungal leaf disease. Apply the fungicide of your choice (making sure it is labeled for use on strawberries) or use an organic fungicide as soon as leaf spotting is noticed.

10. Spider mites & sow bugs. Spider mites love strawberries. Watch for them. They will appear as tiny spots (gray or white) on the leaves and you will notice the leaves have turned dull-looking from the damage. I think the miticide Kelthane is back on the market again after being gone for a few years. If you garden organically, you can release predatory mites to eat the mites on your strawberries. Sow bugs like to eat the ripening fruit. I don't know how to control them.

11. Plastic mulch. Many people have had success by putting down a black plastic sheet mulch, cutting holes and planting the strawberries in the cut-out areas. I haven't tried this, but it is based on a sound premise. That premise is that many leaf spot diseases occur when rain or irrigation splashes up from the soil onto the leaves of the plants. By covering the soil, you lessen the risk. It is hard to mulch with ordinary straw or bark mulch, though, because it will serve as a hideout for sow bugs!

12. I hope your plants are certified to arrive disease-free. They should be, and in fact I think MUST BE, as they are coming from a reputable nursery.

13. Established plants will begin to ripen their fruit 3 or 4 weeks after the last freeze, most years. You should let the fruits ripen wholly on the plant. You will need to harvest every single day so you can pick the berries before the birds and other pests get them. You may want to cover your berry bed with bird netting on some sort of frame.

I could go on forever, but hope this gives you food for thought. I had moderate success getting a good crop of strawberries in Texas once I understood and used the Matted Row System. I was much less experienced in gardening then. I know I should give them another try one of these days because home-grown strawberries are so good!

The variety you purchased is not one that I have seen recommended for this part of the country. Of course, that doesn't mean it won't do well here. I know it is bred for disease-resistance, so that will help. It is a day-neutral one, right? I always grew June-bearing strawberries and don't know a lot about day-neutrals.

A few years ago the Sam Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore was doing some research on using plasticulture in growing strawberries as annuals in Oklahoma. At the time they were hoping to have success in planting and harvesting strawberries and then destroying the plants, all within a 12-month time frame to avoid the whole disease issue. You might check their website (www.noble.org) & see if they have reported results on their research. It would probably be in the horticulture sub-section of the agriculture section. It was research aimed primarily at hoophouse growing, but might have some useful info.

Hope this info helps!

Dawn

Okiedawn,
Such great information. Think that just about covers it.
Will let you know how the plants look and how well they do here. Thanks so much.

I'm dreaming of those strawberry shortcakes you'll be enjoying!!

omg, lol owiebrain :) Lazy woman's version is
A much easier way. The tires were an especially hilarious touch. lollllllll

Diane,

I prefer the method I use here at my house. Think about planting strawberries. Talk about planting strawberries. Complain that "when I have time, I will build a new raised bed and plant those strawberries." Don't ever get around to planting the strawberries.

When the strawberries arrive at the farmer's market, buy some. Make jelly from them. Eat them up. Wash, slice and freeze some for next winter. Repeat process each time fresh, home-grown strawberries appear at any farmer's market within reasonable driving distance (roughly anywhere in all of Oklahoma or Texas). It doesn't matter HOW MUCH you spend buying strawberries, it will still cost LESS than raising them yourself.

The last time I grew them, if I had computed how much it cost to build the bed, buy the plants, the mulch, the water, the fungicide, etc., the amount spent per strawberry would have been mind-boggling! I probably wasn't growing the best-adapted plant for Texas, though, and I know better now.

So, strawberries (and blueberries) remain on my 'to-do' list, not necesarily 'to do this year', but 'to do sometime in the future'.

Dawn (who's keeping her eye on the farmers' markets)

Farmer's markets...just a dream in this area. *sigh* I also tend to buy in bulk when I see them. I stuff my face with so many fresh strawberries and squirt the can of whipped cream down the hatch too.

I do like both those methods of growing strawberries..(thanks for the grins)but can you tell which I chose?
~Heidi (thinking that strawberries look a little like maters...oh Daaaaawn)

Wish there was one farmer's market near Enid--totally devoid of 'em here.

Me, I have a substantial set of strawberries and I have most of 'em marked as to variety. And yes, I've suffered casualties and sometimes it was because of neglect in raised areas that dried out too fast.

Tristars are a good strawberry, but in my area I've given up on getting a second crop out of those or any "everbearer" (actually better called "fall-bearer") and have prefered June-bearing instead. The first crop off my Tristars are just as good and prolific as any Junebearer, I'll have to say. The second--bleah.

Ft. Laramie doesn't do well at all here, or Allstar, and Ozark Beauty gives me trouble on occasion--so what I've done is focus on more heat-tolerant strawberries like Gurney's Maxim (a Junebearer rated to Zone 10), Selva, and like that.

Hi Clara!

Glad to hear the strawberry variety recommendations because I really do want to try growing them here, as soon as I get that new raised bed built! I always steered clear of the everbearing types because the horticulture experts in Texas advised that they have heat/production problems.

Of course, the problem with June-bearers is that they are producing their ripe fruit at the same time as everything else in the garden, and a person with a large garden just works themself to exhaustion in June! It's a good kind of exhaustion, though.

Dawn

owiebrain, you're my kind of gardner...

I put mine in a couple of old wine barrel halves, with a mix of potting soil, top soil, composted manure (cheap @ the local hardwared store every Monday morning--buy a bag of something, and they'll usually throw in some busted ones also...). Nowhere near enough room for them, but I don't have to bend over so far to pick them.

Only put in six plants last year, (straggly looking orpans @ the garden center) but managed to get a couple of pints of berries. I hadn't really expected to get anything. It's amazing what you can do when you don't know any better...

They appear to have wintered okay, so I just scratched up the dirt around them, tossed some Millerite around and watered them today. Who knows?

Hey, this was great info on growing strawberries! I live in TN so don't normally read the OK forum, but my search for strawberries on the site found this thread. I just bought a little bag of strawberry, well, are they bulbs or what? That is my problem. The package says "10 strawberries" and they are in peat or something similar but it feels like one clump of something. Am I supposed to separate these into ten whatevers (?) or is this one clump "10 strawberries"? BTW, the type is sequoia and I chose it because it had a prettier picture on the package. :)

I'd appreciate any help here. I suppose I need to plant the things ASAP. They are June bearing.

Thanks!

BinnieBee

BinnieBee,

Separate the clump into (hopefully) ten little plants. You should have 10 separate plants. Look at one of the plants. You should see a 'crown' from which roots emerge. There might even be some dead foliage clinging to the top of the crown.

When you plant, set the middle of that crown just barely beneath the soil surface and water. It is important that you not plant the crown too high, or your plants may dry out, or too low in the soil, or the plants may rot.

Good luck!
Dawn

Hey there everyone,
A question for you. Last year I got really stupid and planted 3000 strawberry plants. The problem is now I have 1/2 an acre of strawberry plants coming up and 3 times more weeds then plants. Does any one know what type of weed killer (Boo-hiss I know, I am sorry) can be used with the berries and not harm them. help please.

Okay, Dawn, I need help understanding this. You don't want to give strawberries too much nitrogen, right? The NPK ratios would mean that you give them probably a high phosphorus (middle number) fertilizer, but you suggest a 3-1-2. That would mean a higher nitrogen level because we're talking "ratios" not amounts. Why wouldn't you then give them a higher P ratio, like 10-20-10, or anything that has a higher middle number (for phosphorus)?

I don't grow strawberries, but was just wondering about the recommended fertilizer ratios.

Thanks for helping this feeble mind to understand.

SusanLynne

SusanLynne,

You do not have a feeble mind! I understand why logic would make it seem as though a person "ought to" use a fertilizer with a higher middle number, but "logic" doesn't always work in real life. Here's why:

Here's what I learned from famed Texas gardening guru Neil Sperry over the years, beginning way back in high school in the mid-1970s. (Neil gets all the credit for anything I do right in the garden and none of the blame for the things I do wrong!)

Soil tests show that almost all soils in this part of the country test comparatively high in naturally-occurring phosphorus, especially in slow-draining clay soils. (THIS IS THE KEY POINT! Nothing else I say on this subject is as important as the first sentence in this paragraph.) Not only that, but the phosphorus breaks down extremely slowly, so it is quite easy to build up excessive phosphorus in your soil, and excessive phosphorus is toxic (for the plants). That's why I stick with a 3-1-2 ratio, and recommend it for almost everything.

Of course, to achieve "soil perfection" all a person has to do is get a soil test done and then follow the recommendations. I've never had a soil test come back that told me I needed to add ANY phosphorus, though. Theoretically a person should get a soil test at least once every three years, but I don't necessarily follow that recommendation.

Research at Texas A&M backs up Neil's recommendations and the fruit experts in Texas always recommend a 3-1-2 ratio for most fruits, although I don't think (?) they recommend it for blueberries.

And, yes, I do know that I am gardening in Oklahoma now! :) However, since Oklahoma and Texas have essentially the same soils and same climates, everything I learned and applied in Texas works well in Oklahoma too.

Hope that explanation makes sense!

Lee,

THREE-THOUSAND? Here in our merciless and hot climate, that would get you a water bill larger than your house payment! :)

I think you are in a lot of trouble with the weeds, and I don't just say that because I TRY to garden organically (I admit to using Round-Up to kill bermuda grass, though, as nothing recommended organically comes close to actually working well on bermuda).

There are two main types of chemical herbicides: grassy weedkillers for grassy weeds (obviously) and broad-leaf weedkillers for everything that is not a grass.

If your "weeds" include grassy weeds, you can kill those with any grassy weed killer that IS LABELED FOR USE IN AREAS WHERE EDIBLE CROPS ARE GROWN. This is extremely important. Most grassy weed killers are arsenicals (containing arsenic) and I don't use them anywhere near anything I am going to eat!

If your "weeds" include broad-leaved weeds, then almost anything I can think of that would kill emerged weeds would also kill the strawberry plants. See the dilemma? I've always just hand-weeded my fruit and veggie areas, and used mulch to ensure weeds don't return.

OK, there are SOME products that are used to control weeds in strawberry patches, but they must be used VERY CAREFULLY as some will also kill the strawberry plants if they are applied at too high of a concentration or at the wrong time.

Before it was taken off the market, Dacthal was pretty effective in strawberry beds. I think it has been replaced by Poast, Fusilade and Prism, but be sure to check their labels and make sure they are still labeled for strawberries. Devrinol and Formula 40 used to be labled for strawberries...I assume they still are. Check labels carefully. Some products can only be used in pathways between the beds, and can kill the berry plants and other desirable nearby crops if they drift onto them.

I would check with your local agriculture extension agent and find out what he or she recommends for your area. Or, check with your state's university that does agricultureal research for their recommendations. (In Oklahoma, that would be Oklahoma State Univeristy and in Texas, it would be Texas A & M University. I don't know what it is for your state.)

With as many plants as you have, you don't want to take any chances. There may be some products used by commercial growers that must be applied by licensed operators. That might be a good option. Wool mats are sometimes used for weed suppression in Minnesota, and lots of organically oriented people use flame-weeder torches.

Good luck!

Dawn

Forgot to tell you all that I got my order in and planted those tri-stars a few days ago. Will tell you how they do as time goes on. They were great looking strawberries, 25 per package.

Oh, to add to this a bit. I planted these tri star berries with a seperator in the bed and put in Big Maxim berries as well, they were a freebie with my order.
Also, these berries are planted in a 3 foot raised bed.
The only thing I neglected to do was add in a little sand. Had thought I'd be able to but couldn't get it done. There's also a cover to keep the birdies out lol.

I planted Tri-star berries. This is my third year. Had bumper crop the first year, the second we got rained out. Hoping this year will be another bumper crop.

I like the idea of strawberries all summer long. I tried the black plastic idea, weeds found the holes and took over. The only problem I got now is getting rid of some Bishop's Weed that some bird so nicely dropped in my patch. I keep ripping them out but am having a hard time. Anyone got an idea on that one??

YB

I hope you'll avoid the chemical route. Anything that will kill broad-leaved weeds will kill your strawberries.

Just keep ripping 'em out. Can you put down mulch thick enough that the weeds can't/won't sprout? Or, in your climate, would thick mulch just attract slugs and snails?

I don't know when weeds sprout there, but there are some pre-emergents that are labeled for use in strawberry beds. It wouldn't help with the ones you already have, but would stop more from germinating.

And there is one organic pre-emergent that should be safe:
corn gluten meal.

HI Okie,

I don't use chemicals unless there is no other way. I tried mulching, these things are stuburn. I got all kinds of weeds, Guess next year I will have to rotate the crop see what happens. This year I will just keep yankin.

Thanks for the reply

I just started a garden this year and i planted a few strawberry plants. They are many buds and growing strawberries on them but as soon as one turns ripe, it gets eaten by something! i put a wall of chicken wire(sqare holes 2 by 2 inches) around the garden and on top of it. But they are still getting eaten. i dont know if its a bird or....? can you help me please?!

Clara, Is there really no farmer's market in Enid? According to this website there is one at the fairgrounds. Is this bad info? If so, I'm gonna report it.

Here is a link that might be useful: OK Farmer's Markets

Hobbit, rolypoly or sow bugs are what is eating you strawberries.
And I am a lazy gardener. I just stuck them in a flower bed and in a raised bed for ground cover. The berries are a plus. If they KEEP making berries then I know that was the indeterment, if they make a bunch all at once then they are determent. Only now they are crawling out of the bed that is not raised and into my lawn, lol, sometimes my "lawn" has grass in it. I have no idea any more what varity they are.

Hobbit, It does sound like sow bugs and I don't know of a solution! Sometimes they eat my tomatoes, but usually they stay down low to the ground and munch on decomposing mulch and other stuff.

Broken Lady, Sometimes your lawn has grass in it? Oh, no, don't let my DH hear that! Everything from my garden creeps out into the lawn....and I keep tilling up more lawn so I can have more stuff growing. I am about to convince my DH that lawns of grass are just an illusion...and he may not believe me if he finds out there are people who actually have grass in their lawn! lol

My grandmother grew strawberries in very, very sandy soil when I was a teenager and she didn't amend the soil in any way. Nor did she mulch. Nor did her strawberries get eaten by sowbugs. Hmmm. I am beginning to see a connection.

Dawn

How are your strawberries? I also planted the Tristar and so far they have been a HUGE disappointment. I have had sparse blooms and very small almost tasteless fruit. I have NO blooms now. I wonder if the 888 fertilzer was the problem. The plants look ok but no blooms!

We had a great crop of strawberries this year. I would like to know what to do with the plants now. They still have some flowers and they're sending out runners. Do I prune off all the runners and maintain the original bed?

Picking fresh strawberries with my 2 1/2 yo grand-daughter is what it's all about
Thanks for help

Here's a little update on how those strawberries did last year- Tri-star did ok. But I know next to nothing about the Big Maxim, they didn't produce at all---- were they not supposed to or what?

I checked out my bed the past week, the tri-star are coming up but big Maxim are invisible....

I think I will go searching for more about the Maxim.

Goatster- My tri stars had great taste but certainly didn't produce as much as I had hoped. I am just guessing, but perhaps the fertilizer was your problem. I did not add ANY fertilizer to mine other than the very minimal ammount that we added to the soil when we prepared the bed.

Littleriver- what I would do is prune off all the runners and keep the original bed.

I grow Ozark Beauty and Cardinals. Both make huge, sweet berries. I get a 2nd lighter fall crop some years. Wonderful to have berries in September.
Weird thing - they did not go completely dormant this winter. They just continued to grow and multiply!

I don't use hay - I use pine straw (dried pine needles) for mulch around my strawberries. They are natural companions. The pine needles actualy improve the taste of the berries. I put the pine straw on the paths too. It keep slugs away. They do not like to get poked by the pine needles. Toss in some pinecones, too, to keep out the cats!

In the South you can buy bales of Pine Straw. I wish we could here. It is the best mulch for Azaleas and other acid-loving plants and trees. It is great mulch for blackberries too. It doesn't wash or float away like the pine bark or chip mulch does.

The best thing for getting rid of rolly pollies (pill bugs or sow bugs) is a good old Horned Toad. They eat ants, even fire ants and nasty old pill bugs. Too bad farmers used insecticides and killed them off. Their are not extinct, but darn near. Maybe I could import me a few from someplace. I don't use pesticides.

I am getting some guineas soon. Wonder if they will eat sow bugs? Does anyone know?

Annie

I found a big, white strawberry blossom this afternoon!

This crazy weather has everything messed up. Last week I picked a mess of asparagus spears! I could hardly believe it when I saw them! Then came that nasty winter stuff and they froze their pointy little heads - they're all shriveled looking now.
I think that cold also ruined this year's Lilacs, too. I'm just sick over the loss. Way too early for them to be blooming.

By the way, OwieBrain, your description of growing strawberries had me in stitches, I was laughing so hard. So funny!

Annie

Hi I ordered my strawberry to and wow 50% sand is alot of sand the soil almost looks like dirty sand I hope I got it right but wow thats alot of sand...thx angie

I HAVE A FEW STRAWBERRIES THAT I HAVE PLANTED, AND HAVE NOTICED HOLES (IN), AND RAGGETY EDGES ON THE LEAVES. I AM VISION IMPAIRED SO CAN'T SEE WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN ALL NATURAL ANTI-BUG SPRAY, BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE UP. I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE IN GARDENING.

CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE?

THANKS

Kit (Del City, OK.)