Strawberries are an annual favorite in the organic gardens of most people. Strawberries are an excellent Interplanting companion for the beds of the garden. If you choose to plant strawberry plants in an elevated bed, you’ll reap the benefits of a raised bed as well as a few drawbacks. Growing strawberries in raised beds can be picked more easily and showcase the fruit’s beautiful leaves and cottage-like flower clusters. It’s also an alternative if you have dense soil.
They spread their roots across various soil plans. They emerge from the soil just when the frost has gone. Therefore, the best season to grow strawberries would be springtime in the early months.
The biggest drawback of cultivating strawberries in raised beds is the price. However, it won’t cost you a dime if you construct it yourself. This is the most efficient method to get ready for the garden and grow your most loved and delicious strawberries in your growth area.
See, How To Start Organic Farming, and 10 Gardening Hacks That Will Make Your Life Easier.
How to Grow Strawberries
Strawberries can be described as one of the most simple fruits home gardeners can cultivate. They are perennials that will return to your garden each year. They can be grown in small areas, and you can produce them at only a small fraction of the price. If you’re planning to start growing your crop quickly and easily, you can try cultivating strawberries in raised beds. This is a comprehensive guide to strawberry cultivation in raised beds from seeding to harvest.
- If you want to maintain the soil wet in an elevated bed for your strawberry plants, you must mulch your bed properly.
- If you spot weeds, take them out by hand within the first month following the plant.
- Because strawberries have a low roots, they need a lot of water. They require one inch for each square foot every week.
- If you don’t remove the blooms at the beginning of the year the plant will concentrate its efforts on growing roots this is a good sign. After that, in the next year, you’ll get more of a crop.
- If you want to safeguard your plants, row covers are an excellent alternative.
Benefits of Raised Strawberry Beds.
Garden beds that have been raised are the perfect alternative for strawberry plants. They can provide the proper drainage strawberries need and help you manage how much soil your strawberry plants are planted. Furthermore, raised gardens make it easier to take care of the plants. Finally, ensuring the berries are safe from birds is easier than planting them in the ground as there is no bending needed to harvest the fruits.
Other benefits of growing strawberries on raised beds are:
- Making sure that plants are getting ample water is not a problem.
- Weeding is limited to the lowest
- It is easier to check plant growth for indications of illness.
- The fast-spreading plants are within a confined area.
Required Height & Width
The rectangular shape of a raised bed makes it the ideal option to grow strawberries. However, the dimensions of the raised bed can depend on the needs of your garden, like 4 x 4. The height that the bed is grown has to be between 10-12 inches.
The length that the bed is raised must not be excessively wide as it will be difficult to keep the plants in good condition. The plants in the center could be ignored since you cannot access the plants.
Some suggestions for raised beds cultivation;
- The redwood, cedar, or locusts are the most desirable. Avoid pressure-treated lumber.
- The elevated wooden as well as a bed made of plastic. They are elevated on their legs. They’re great for your patio, porch, or deck.
- I am a fan of these beds made by Birdies Raised Beds; however, there are plenty of other options for raised beds made of metal as well.
- The bricks, rocks, or concrete. These materials allow for a more stable environment for growth than other alternatives.
- Raised beds are DIY kits for raised beds. There’s an array of choices of products available, but here are my favorites.
- Geotextile fabrics. These inexpensive, fabric-raised beds are excellent alternatives, as well.
Number of Plants in a Row
Place your plants approximately 45km away. Create planting holes using trowels, put the plants down and then firmly set the soil around the roots. In a 4×4 raised bed, you shouldn’t grow more than three plants per row. There is a possibility to put in an outside row 3 two rows of offsets, and then another outward row that is 3. So the strawberry plants have plenty of space to grow. Sprinkle water over the entire bed to help settle your soil and protect the root.
What Type of Soil is Required for Strawberry Cultivation?
A light, loamy and acidic soil is the best choice for strawberry cultivation. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the soil. Lots of nutrient-rich organic matter is beneficial. If you don’t have fertile, Acidic Soil, you can apply a few amendments to remedy it. It’s much simpler to add them before planting since they are perennial plants.
This can be accomplished with kits that are easily accessible from any gardening or nursery store. The pH of your Soil should be in the range of 5.5 to 6.5; the best pH range is 6.0 or 6.2.
The best mix of Soil that you can create is by mixing Potting Soil, old manure compost, compost, and balanced fertilizer. This is the best mixture for raised beds that are lower in height, but for a higher raised bed, it is possible to begin by filling the bed with straw and branches then spread the mix.
Suitable Location
It is vital and the first thing to think about when planting strawberries in raised beds. You must ensure that the area where you will grow your strawberry plants receives at least 8-10 hours of sun each day. Strawberries thrive under the full sun; therefore, make sure you choose a suitable spot.
Planting the Right Time of Year
Based on the location you reside in, it will determine when of the season you plant strawberries. For example,
- You live in an area that has hot temperatures, it is crucial to plant seeds in the autumn.
- Your planting occurs in spring when you live in cooler weather.
Three Varieties Were Planted
The best part is that all varieties of Strawberry can be cultivated within raised gardens. Therefore, it is unnecessary to seek a specific type or visit an individual nursery to purchase strawberry plants. Based on the variety you pick, this could result in your strawberries maturing in different stages and hopefully provide you with the chance to enjoy a longer-lasting time to grow.
In addition, each kind has a distinct flavor, and certain varieties are more suitable for cooler environments than others.
You must ensure that the variety is suitable for your growing zone. Then, you should choose the right one. The positive side is that strawberries can be grown from sunny and hot Florida to cold and frosty Canada worldwide!
Then, you must decide when you’d like to pick. There are three kinds of strawberries:
- June-bearing varieties: Grow one large crop at once, usually from mid-June through the beginning of July. Strawberry varieties that are ripe in June are the ideal option if you intend to preserve your berries in jam
- The varieties that are day-neutral produce less fruit through the majority of the year.
- Ever-bearing species produce two crops each year, one at the beginning of summer and one in the early autumn.
What is the Recommended Amount of Moisture to Ensure the Growth of Strawberry Plants?
It is recommended to install drip irrigation to ensure that you are giving water at a timely rate for your plant. This means that you should sprinkle water on your plants whenever you notice that your Soil has dried out and requires water.
Fluctuations in the moisture level may damage the fruit. In addition, the excess watering can cause fruit to rot, which is the destruction of your efforts. The plants of your Strawberry require to be watered twice a week during the spring and in autumn, but during the summer, because of the scorching intense sun’s heat, it is recommended to water your plants on a regular regularly.
If you notice that the strawberries are strong and healthy, it indicates that they’re receiving plenty of water and nutrients through the Soil. The amount of water needed is determined by the number of plants you want to grow within the elevated bed.
Trimming Strawberry Runners
Every year, the strawberry plants create runners. The runners are the stems that extend from the central plant to result in additional strawberry plants. The runners grow nearby and make new plants; however, they remain in the main plant and drain the nutrients.
Therefore, it is vital to cut runners when you begin to notice that they’re growing. The lack of trimming could seriously harm the plant’s main structure and decrease the number of berries you harvest. They may even prevent the plants from producing berries completely.
Need of Fertilizing Strawberry Plants
Fertilizing can help the strawberry plants to reach their potential. It is beneficial to fertilize at different occasions throughout the period that a strawberry plant is in. The first step is to use;
- First, a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer must be applied just before planting your strawberries. You should add one to 2-pounds of fertilizer for every 100 sq. ft.
- Second, in the first season of the strawberry garden, another application can be made after the strawberry plant has been established for 4 to 6 weeks and in August, depending on the growth rate.
- Everbearing, third, day-neutral, and strawberries may be fertilized after one harvest. Strawberry plants that produce in June must be fertilized throughout the renovation. This is to keep the plants healthy.
Make sure you soak the fertilizer in water thoroughly to soak through to the roots of the growing strawberries.
Winter Care
Strawberries are perennial plants. Therefore, they need to be protected in colder weather. It’s relatively easy to carry out. Place about 4 to six inches of straw over the plants after the growing season. But it should be done before the initial cold snap.
Wrap it in the mesh that can stop straws from falling away. You can keep some straw on the ground the following spring as a ground cover that will keep the weeds under control. Every spring, you must apply more fertilizer to ensure that the Soil remains friendly to berries.
Diseases & Pests
Strawberries are susceptible to many diseases and pests such as mildew, mold, and other fungi, to hungry grubs that eat roots, hungry chipmunks, and birds. Garden Fabric and Bird Netting can deter birds. A strawberry that has been certified healthy and free of disease will reduce the risk of developing fungal or viral infections. The full sun and the mulch of straw or leaves will keep plants healthy and help preserve their quality strawberry.
Preserve the Strawberries?
They can also be frozen in a completely sealed container for 50 and 60 days. Keep in mind that they might lose some flavor when stored long. Congratulations! Enjoy your freshly picked strawberries.
Strawberries Benefits
You can eat fresh strawberries or preserve them frozen or dried in a jam at the table. You can also use fresh berries in baking or drinks. Dry strawberries are a wonderful topping for oatmeal, granola cookies, and trail mix.
You could also plant strawberries to create the ground cover. It won’t yield the same as when you plant plants in their own space. But, you’ll still receive the freshest strawberry. Are you prepared to plant strawberries? Just click one of these links to purchase the products above and to the left for additional information, buy it online or find a store close to you.
Final Thoughts
You can use your raised bed to plant, care for, and pick your strawberries. You must mulch your strawberry garden to prevent the fruit not touching the Soil. Also, remember to eat your strawberries as soon as they are ripe.
Strawberry Recipes
- Vegan Strawberry Banana Bread
- Strawberry Breakfast Cake
- Gluten-Free Vegan Strawberry Breakfast Bar
- Strawberry Acai Lemonade
- Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Other Plants To Grow In Your Raised Bed Garden
- How To Grow Green Onions
- How To Grow Cilantro
- Grow Broccoli
- Grow Carrot
- Growing Ginger in Raised Bed Garden
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