Tessa’s Strawberry Patch
I noted in my closing remarks from my last blog post that everything we plan to grow in the Boutique farm has a backstory or reason for being there. This week I will be writing out growing strawberries and what I plan to call Tessa’s Strawberry Patch.
My oldest daughter is Tessa, she is a delightful person, has a killer sense of humor (which she probably inherited from her parents!) and also has special needs. To date we are working under the assumption that she will be able to live independently but if it turns out she can’t there will always be a place for her on the Putnam homestead. In fact, the plan for the farm is that each daughter (we have two) will have an area that is designed and planted just for them, even if they don’t live on the property – perhaps it will be motivation to visit! This post will be dedicated to Tessa and her love of strawberries!
When Tess and her sister Bella were young, a friend of mine whose name was also Kimberly, took the three of us to a U Pick Em strawberry patch just outside of Denver. We took a picnic and after lunch the girls, with baskets in hand, picked strawberries. It was a delightful afternoon and to this day, I think this is why Tessa loves growing strawberries. I grew them in the garden of our last house, and she had her own potted strawberry plant.
Prior to us having kids, I hand a patch of strawberries growing in the garden of our first house in Congress Park. At some point, I became burnt out on strawberries and stopped eating them, but Tessa to this day loves strawberries! So as part of the farm, I plan to have a raised bed we will designate as Tessa’s Strawberry Patch. It will be part of a larger section of the farm that will be devoted to the ‘soft fruits’ which will include, strawberries, raspberries (Bella’s preferred fruit), blackberries (my preferred fruit) and gooseberries (at Andy’s request). On that note, the next few blog posts will be devoted to and the sharing of my ‘soft fruit’ research! But today… I will focus on the Strawberry.
Information by:
https://www.allaboutgardening.com
https://extension.umn.edu
Growing Strawberries Overview
Strawberries are native to North America and can handle frigid temperatures during their dormant phase. Proper timing ensures that the plants are firmly established and healthy before cold sets in. When combined with proper varietal selection, correct timing also allows you to enjoy their fruits during the first year.
In zone 7, strawberries can technically be planted from November through April. Some gardeners even plant in mid-December. The timing mostly depends on the variety you want to grow. Ever-bearing and June-bearing types are best suited for fall planting, while Day-neutral types flourish when planted in the spring.
These perennial berries absolutely thrive in zone 7 because they receive an abundance of warm, sunny days and a nice period of winter dormancy. Many eastern regions in zone 7 also get a nice dose of summer rainfall that helps boost strawberry growth. Zone 7 gardeners have many more options than their colder or warmer neighbors. You can plant in the fall or the spring, depending on the varieties you want to grow and the amount of maintenance you want to give your patch.
Ever-bearing & Day-Neutral Varieties
"Ever-bearing" is one of three categories of strawberry plants. These plants produce two crops of fruit a year, the first in June and another later in the summer or early fall. In some cases, they may produce a small third crop in between. Ever-bearing strawberries differ from the most popular "June-bearing" strawberries, which produce just a single crop in early summer. Because June-bearing strawberries only produce one crop, I won’t be focusing on them in this post or for the Boutique farm. Planting everbearing strawberries is one way to ensure a crop in case of a late frost. I’m thinking this might be the crop we want to plant as it would give Tessa multiple opportunities to enjoy them, depending on when she visits.
Ever-bearing strawberries produce fewer offshoots, known as runners, than June-bearing strawberries do. Everbearing and day-neutral strawberries are best grown as annuals, as they produce the most fruit in the first year.
Zone 7 has mild winters that are perfect for perennial strawberry patches. If you want to grow heirloom Ever-bearing or June-bearing varieties, you should plant them in late November. These varieties require one year to fully mature, so you can expect fruit in the following summer. For planning purposes, the growth cycle will look something like this:
Purchase bare root crowns or strawberry seedlings in the fall
Plant in November or December
Heavily mulch to protect from winter weather
The plants will drop their leaves and go dormant (don’t worry, they aren’t dying!)
They will re-sprout leaves in the spring and begin to flower in May
For bigger harvests in year two, remove the flowers and prevent fruiting in year one
Enjoy a larger harvest the following summer when plants are fully established
I find this piece of information interesting because I usually do not see strawberry plants in the garden centers in the fall, mostly spring if memory serves me. I’m thinking if this proves true then I may have to purchase Tessa’s strawberries online; More on that when actual planting begins!
The favorable fall weather makes it easy for Ever-bearers and June-bearers to focus on getting firmly rooted. However, you must be careful that you don’t plant too early in the fall, otherwise they may become confused by the warm weather and try to flower. This is why late November and December are the most common planting times. Unless you have an unexpected heat wave in the autumn, the cooler weather prevents premature “stress flowering” at the time of planting. Instead, they can funnel energy toward their roots and then go dormant for a few months through the winter.
Fall planted strawberries need to be deeply mulched to protect from frigid temperatures. Weed-free, un-sprayed straw is best, but you can also use landscape fabric, chipped deciduous leaves, pine needles, or row fabric to insulate the plants.
Growing Ever-bearing Strawberries
So based on the above information, it appears strawberries can be planted both in the fall and the spring, which is when I usually see strawberry plants in the garden centers. Strawberries grow best in organically rich soil that has a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Sandy soils that drain well are preferable to clay soils. This is another reason why we will be growing Tessa’s strawberry patch in a raised bed. It is a good idea to conduct a soil test before planting your strawberries so you can determine what amendments might be needed.
Strawberry plants should receive about an inch of water a week. Providing adequate moisture is especially important during fruit development. Strawberry plants must be grown in full sun for best possible fruiting. It is important to keep your strawberry patch weed-free, as weeds can hoard nutrients that strawberries need to produce a crop. You can control weeds by removing them manually and applying mulch.
If you opt to plant your strawberries in the fall the follow are some pros and cons to keep in mind:
Fall Planting Pros
Plants have more time to get established before flowering
Plants build robust root systems for years of production
Perennial systems require less immediate maintenance
Plants can yield for three plus years into the future
Fall Planting Cons
Requires a longer wait-time until the first berries
You may need to remove initial flowers
Don’t fruit in the same year as planting
More disease risk
Requires mulching and overwintering
Ever-bearing Strawberry Varieties
Two of the most popular varieties of everbearing strawberries include 'Ogallala' (Fragaria × ananassa 'Ogallala', zones 4-8) and ‘Fort Larame’ (Fragaria × ananassa 'Fort Larame', zones 4-8). ‘Ogallala’ produces flavorful, dark red fruit and can tolerate some drought. The 'Ozark Beauty' (Fragaria 'Ozark Beauty', zones 4-8) is another classic example of an everbearing strawberry and it shows more disease resistance than other types of strawberries. The 'Quinault' cultivar (Fragaria × ananassa 'Quinault ', zones 4-8) might be the best everbearing strawberry for the Pacific Northwest. It is also considered a good option for the Midwest regions of the U.S. Another everbearing strawberry, ‘Ruby Ann' (Fragaria × ananassa 'Ruby Ann', zones 4-8), produces sweet strawberries that are medium-sized and bright red.
Day-Neutral Varieties
While the above method can yield perennial patches of strawberries for years to come, this planting timing and growth method yields more fruit in the same year.
Day-neutral varieties are modern varieties that have been bred to fruit regardless of the day length (hence the name). This means they can be harvested the same year as they are planted!
You can get day-neutral strawberries in the ground around early April, and they will rapidly mature their roots and leaves so they’re ready to flower in late May and start fruiting by June.
Many varieties have as little as 90 days to mature between planting and harvesting. You can start with strawberry seedlings to get a head start, but bare root crowns can also be planted in the spring. Many farmers grow day-neutrals as annual crops because it is easier to prune and tend the plants, harvest the fruits, then re-plant the following year. This reduces the risk of disease and helps control weeds. These vigorous varieties consistently fruit all summer and fall until the first frost, usually June through October in zone 7. Their berries also tend to be larger than June-bearing types.
If you want to maximize your strawberry harvest from the same-year planting, follow these steps:
Purchase bare-root strawberry plants like ‘Albion’, ‘Seascape’, or ‘Chandler’
Get the plants in the ground by late April. Optionally, plant in a landscape fabric or a nice layer of mulch
Cover with a layer of row fabric for a month to help them establish in warmth.
Provide plenty of moisture and remove the first few sets of flowers to channel the energy into the roots
Uncover the plants in May so pollinators can do their work. Stop removing flowers at this time
Regularly prune away any runners. If you prune off runners every week in peak season, the plants will grow like vigorous mini-bushes with tons of fruit
Start harvesting fruit by early June
Day-neutral strawberries have different growing requirements than June-bearing strawberries:
They are grown as annuals
They are typically grown under protected covering (low tunnels, high tunnels for example)
They are harvested for a longer season
They have higher yields
They require more maintenance throughout the growing season
Day-neutral varieties are not sensitive to day length, which means the plants flower and fruit continuously when temperatures are moderate. Because of this, day neutral varieties typically produce fruit from July through October or until the first killing frost. Although I see the advantages to the Day-neutral strawberry variety, the fact that they seem to be more maintenance than the Ever-bearing variety, I am leaning more toward the Ever-bearing. Yes, I will most likely be taking care of the strawberries but if at some point Tess decided to live with us then her Strawberry patch would be hers to oversee, and I’d rather set her up for success!
To summarize the adventures in growing strawberries, you have a couple of different options when planting strawberries in hardiness zone 7. Spring and fall planting are both options, depending on the variety of strawberry you choose to grow. Whichever method you choose, don’t forget to properly prepare your soil for productive plants! These juicy berries prefer rich, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH between 5.5 and 7.0. With any luck, you’ll be fruiting in year one, or in year two depending on the variety you’ve chosen to grow, and… if you are growing them for your children or grandchildren, make sure you choose a variety that is easy to maintain!
