If you are keen on planting strawberries and have a large yard, you can easily grow your own strawberry patch. Alternatively, if you don't have a yard, you could grow strawberries in a pot. To grow strawberries, you need plenty of sunshine, good soil and appropriate drainage. In terms of sunlight, take care that you give your plant six hours of sunshine per day. Soil rich in organic matter is ideal for planting strawberries.

Planting strawberries requires that you have clear ground and dig a couple of inches of compost into a few inches of soil at the top. And you don?t just need good soil but soil that?s slightly acidic, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Strawberries need constant moisture and good drainage or it will rot. In the absence of good drainage, try constructing an elevated bed.

The plants are of three kinds:

- June-bearing: This variety bears fruit in June. They grow large and have long runners, and so are ideal for a strawberry patch. Theirs is a one-time produce in June.

- Ever-bearing: Beginning late spring, this variety bears fruit till the onset of fall. Though they bear fruit regularly, it?s not all at once. These plants are quite small and don?t have elaborate runners. This kind allows you to harvest fruit in the first season.

- Day-neutral: This variety bears quite a large crop of fruit ranging from spring until fall. Its plants, though small, produce many berries. However, they do not bear fruit in hot climate. Just like its counterpart types, it bears fruit in its first season.

Preparing the strawberry bed: Once you?ve earmarked your strawberry patch, dig large holes and place the crown of the strawberry plant in it just a little above soil level. Now backfill and water them well. Now, mulch the beds using compost, straw, pine needles and shredded leaves. Pine needles serve to increase the acidic nature of the soil.

Now, look out for the first flower buds. If you see buds of the ever-bearing or day-neutral variety, pluck them off and let the plant grow a little more before bearing fruit. And do not grow strawberries near a bed of vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes or peppers as these plants carry verticillium wilt that can infect the plants.

These plants need a lot of water but remember that drainage too must be good. They should not stand in water. In order to bear fruit, water them with one inch of water per week. Their shallow roots should not dry or they will not bear fruit. Keep the soil moist with mulching.

Fertilize with bone meal and blood meal once a month from June to September. Water and fertilize them appropriately and keep them weed-free. Planting strawberries can be a very happy and fulfilling experience which will keep you happy for years to come.

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Article Submitted By: Sam J. Howard
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