When it comes to soil, strawberries love a rich well-drained soil that is slightly acidic with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. If you have heavy clay soil, be sure to amend with lots of compost (4” deep) or decomposed leaves. You can also make mounds orhugelkultur-style “lasagna” beds of layered leaves, straw, manure, compost, and topsoil. Strawberries tend to be stunted and stressed in hard clay, so these steps are very important. Strawberries can be planted in the spring or fall depending on your growing zone and the variety of strawberries you choose. Begin by preparing your raised beds, planting rows, or containers. Strawberries especially enjoy growing in hills or mounds, so I often use theHugelkulturlasagna gardening method or simply add a 2-4” layer of compost on top of my beds.

Strawberry plugs are already rooted like a regular vegetable seedling. They have already broken dormancy and begun growing leaves. You can plant them just as you would a lettuce plug, keeping the soil surface at the same level as the original plant. Preparing Strawberry Beds Using a row cover for your strawberries can help keep them warm and pests out. Strawberries might be a sweet ally against type 2 diabetes. Their low glycemic index can potentially reduce the risk of developing this condition, as highlighted in the British Medical Journal . [18]

Strawberry varieties

Strawberries might aid you against arthritis and gout pain. The Arthritis Foundation praises these red gems for their rich content of antioxidants and detoxifiers. These components not only alleviate gout and arthritis pain but also combat symptoms like muscle and tissue degeneration, drying of joint fluids, and the buildup of harmful substances, including uric acid. [24] Strawberries are often eaten raw or added to fruit salads and custards.You can also easily consume strawberry juice, which can be prepared at home. You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. It's your drink, so you can make it how you'd like.

Strawberries can be grown as perennials in temperate USDA growing zones 4-8. They can also be grown as annuals during the cooler seasons of zones 9-10. In a perfect world, strawberries want to flower and fruit in temperatures between 60° and 80°F. If it gets too hot, they will not produce very abundant harvests and weak plants may even die. This is why spring planting in hot areas is typically not worth the effort (fall is a much better option). From late May, place straw in the rows and under the fruit trusses to suppress weeds and prevent the fruit lying on the ground.Regular feeding is also important when growing strawberries, as they are hungry plants. Most gardeners like to use a high-potassium liquid feed every two weeks, such as Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg feed. This kind of feed encourages flowering; and more flowers means more fruit. Tomato feed will also do the job well. Change up the type of alcohol - You can add whiskey, gin, or anything else that you'd like. (a strawberry whiskey sour sounds pretty good!) But, there is a caveat. You don’t want to feed strawberries (especially June-bearing varieties) too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer in the spring because it may promote excess foliage growth instead of putting energy into the fruit. Too much nitrogen also can cause softer berries that are prone to rot. The best course of action is simply using slow-release organic fertility like an all-purpose blend, high-quality compost, or rotted manure. Maintenance The amount of maintenance you provide your strawberry plants depends on how much fruit you want from them. Planting strawberries is a fun and easy activity for gardeners of all ages. Unlike planting seeds, strawberry crowns don’t require as much precision with spacing and irrigation. However, they do require special attention to detail regarding the depth of planting. When to Plant The timing of planting is dependent on the variety of strawberries you wish to plant in your garden. Lime juice - Combing the lemon juice and lime juice is what makes the sour strawberries come to life.

Dive into the creamy richness of chocolate and the natural sweetness of ripe bananas, expertly blended to create a flavor combination that's simply irresistible. With each sip, you'll be transported to a world of velvety indulgence, where the luscious cocoa notes harmonize perfectly with the fruity essence of bananas. When planting strawberries, try a sunny location as they fruit well in full sun. They will tolerate part-shade, although fruit yields may be smaller. Strawberries like fertile but well-drained soil. If you are planting them directly in the ground or a raised bed, it’s worth incorporating some manure or general fertiliser into the soil before planting. Space the plants 30-45cm (12-18in) apart, in rows 60-90cm (24-36in) apart Planting your strawberry plants Day-neutrals are the product of modern breeding efforts for more commercially viable crops that can be grown as annuals. Basically, they took the so-called “ever-bearing” strawberry and adapted plants to produce regardless of day length (hence the name “day-neutral”). The result is a perfect strawberry for gardeners that produce in the same year of planting and can be rotated around the garden just like annual vegetables.After harvesting, remove the straw or matting that has been protecting fruit from the ground. Compost straw and debris, or clean and store matting for next year. Yambu’: very vigorous, excellent flavor, midseason ripening, extra firm and great for freezing, high yields of large-sized berries Lastly, they can be batch made ahead of time and frozen so you’ve always got a stash ready to pop into the oven. If you have sandy soil, simply amend with 1-2” of compost. Otherwise, you can grow your berry plants in a high-quality organic potting mix in containers. Small amounts of sawdust or pine needles can also be added to help acidify the soil if necessary. Climate and Temperature Mild, warm climates are best for growing strawberries. Use citrus rind traps by placing the rinds of citrus at the base of plants to attract the slugs. Then, dispose of the citrus each morning to keep populations at bay.

May Aid in Improving Hair Health: The rich variety of antioxidants, ellagic acid, and vitamins help battle hair loss, moisturize the hair, and prevent dandruff. For glossy hair, mix 5-6 crushed strawberries with 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Massage this into damp hair and rinse off after 10-15 minutes. Shampoo as usual. This works as a natural hair conditioner. Mulching significantly reduces watering needs and keeps the strawberries warm in the winter and cool in the summer. My favorite organic mulch for strawberries is straw! They are called strawberries after all! Eating strawberries can prevent eye conditions like dry eyes, degeneration of the optic nerves, macular degeneration, vision defects, and increased susceptibility to infections. A paper exploring nutritional solutions for age-related eye diseases recommended strawberries for their possibly rich vitamin C content. Published in the journal, Clinical Interventions in Aging, it found that vitamin C provided the eye with vital antioxidant protection. [16] Ever-Bearing If you are looking for more consistent fruit production, ever-bearing varieties are the better option for you. Then transfer into a freezer bag or airtight container where they will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.Set beer traps by placing cheap beer in a shallow plastic container and nestling it at ground level for the slugs to crawl in and drown. I’ve found that a generous helping of all-purpose organic fertilizer or diluted kelp and fish liquid fertilizer at the time of planting helps plants get well-established and rooted. Once flowering begins, a weekly feeding of fish fertilizer helps promote more flowers and fruit. Older berries that have already been established usually only need to be fertilized once a year around the time of fruiting or right after.