Appreciated by young and old alike, strawberries are red fruits from strawberries. Rich in water, vitamins and minerals, these small fruits have multiple health benefits. They can be eaten as a dessert with whipped cream, in jams or even in a pie, in a cake or in a glass. It is generally at the beginning of spring that the first strawberries appear. If you want to plant strawberries in your home and boost the production of red and juicy fruits, here are our tips for having 4 times more strawberries.
Easy to grow, strawberries are perennial plants whose leaves measure 10 to 15 centimeters in height. Strawberry plants require fertilization and soil moisture to provide good strawberry production. In this article, we reveal our tips for increasing the strawberry production of your strawberry plant.
How to boost strawberry production?
If you like to grow strawberries in your garden or vegetable patch, you will know that these red fruits require special attention. Here are two tips that will allow you to harvest as many strawberries as possible:
Mulch the strawberries to have a large quantity of strawberries
To have a large quantity of strawberries, it may be important to mulch. This process consists of covering the ground with materials which can be of organic or plastic origin. Depending on the material chosen, the purpose of mulching is to get rid of weeds, regulate the temperature and humidity of the soil, reduce watering, nourish the soil or even promote the production of stolons. The latter represent stems whose end has a seedling, which when planted in the ground can develop roots. According to the Gerbeaud website, strawberries prefer wood shreds, a potting soil that can be used to mulch strawberries. Very compact, it helps fight against unwanted pests and boosts strawberry production.
Remove dead leaves to encourage strawberry growth
After harvesting, a strawberry plant must be pruned. It will be necessary to cut dry leaves but also dead leaves, and remove stolons. And for good reason, the foliage of a strawberry plant can carry disease and harbor a certain number of parasites. When you remove these unwanted leaves, throw them in the trash and do not use them in your compost.
What type of strawberry plant should you choose to have beautiful strawberries?
There are many varieties of strawberries that can satisfy all tastes. Everbearing strawberries such as Mara des bois, Charlotte or Reine des Vallées are the most used for growing at home. Even if they give a lower production, they can be accompanied by a harvest that extends over time. The latter generally lasts from June until the first winter frosts. Non-everbearing strawberries include Gariguette, Rubis des jardins and Magnum. They produce large, very sweet red fruits only once a year, towards the end of spring or until summer.
How to grow strawberries?
To grow strawberries, you don’t need to be a gardening professional. Here are our tips:
- Opt for a sunny location and remove weeds from your plants
- To plant your strawberries in a pot or planter, choose a container with holes since strawberries require well-drained soil.
- Prepare a mixture of garden soil and potting soil to plant your strawberries before spreading the mulch
- Cut the runners that may take up too much space and plant them when you want to have new strawberries
- Water your plants but let the soil dry between each watering
- Remove dead leaves at the end of the season.
