Strawberry Patch - Wisconsin Garden Video Blog 4. Growing Strawberries in Minnesota Gardens : Garden : University of Minnesota Extension. Extension > Garden > Yard and Garden > Fruit > Growing Strawberries in Minnesota Gardens. Dr. Tepe and Doug Foulk. About strawberrieswww. Strawberry plants consist of crowns, roots, runners, and daughter plants - in addition to leaves, flowers, and fruit. 36 reviews of Pick at Garden Patch Farms 'My wife and I had a wonderful experience. When we got to the strawberry patch we noticed it was pretty picked over.
Pest management for the home strawberry patch. Karl Foord, Jeff Hahn and Michelle Grabowski. Funded by NCIPM USDA.Julie Weisenhorn. These woodland strawberries are planted among other shade- tolerant plants. There are three types of strawberries available to the home gardener. June- bearing strawberries produce a large, concentrated crop in mid- June to early July. Ever- bearing types produce two crops, one in early summer and the second in early fall. Day neutral plants are capable of producing flowers and thus fruit throughout most of the growing season. Of the three types, June- bearing strawberries normally produce the largest yield per season, albeit in a short period of time. Strawberry plants usually begin flowering in mid- May in Southern Minnesota and similar areas. For June- bearing cultivars the rule of thumb is about 4 weeks from flowering to picking fruit. Day neutral and ever- bearing types begin flowering around the same time in the spring and take about the same time between flowering and harvest. The difference is that they keep flowering through the summer months. The woodland strawberry. The woodland strawberry (scientific name Fragaria vesca) is a day neutral strawberry species. You might also see it called alpine strawberry, fraises des bois, wild strawberry, or European strawberry. The plants produce small, sweet fruit with maybe 2 to 3 fruit per plant per week. Because many of these plants are grown from seed and thus have inherent variations, the plants can either produce runners or not. They tolerate shadier sites, and can be planted in the front of perennial beds, walkways or in containers. Helpful hints. Strawberries need full sun to produce maximum fruit. Space plants 1. 2 to 1. Strawberries are self- fertile, but require bees for pollination. Remove some of the runners throughout the season or your strawberry plants will take over your yard. After removing flowers for a few weeks after planting, you can pick fruit later that summer. Remember, one June- bearing plant can produce up to 1. Control those runners! Cultivars. Honeoye is a classic and reliable June- bearing strawberry for northern gardens. Many strawberry cultivars are available and can be grown with ease in home gardens. Some taste better than others; some are more winter hardy than others; some ripen in one small window in June while others produce a fruit throughout the growing season. Here are a few of our favorite cultivars, chosen mainly for flavor and, when mulched, winter hardiness in USDA Zone 4. USDA Zone 3 is much colder and plants need additional cover to survive temperature extremes without snow cover. Although most garden centers sell strawberry plants in spring, many of the cultivars listed here are commonly available only from mail- order sources. Do a web search to find nurseries that carry the cultivars you'd like to plant. Strawberry cultivars recommended for northern gardens. Cultivars in bold are University of Minnesota releases and include date of introduction. Cultivar. Type. Hardiness. Description. Zone 4. Zone 3 Annapolis. June- bearing. Good. Poor. Vigorous plants produce medium- large fruit with mild, sweet flavor. Produces many runners. Earliglow. June- bearing. Fair. Poor. Firm, glossy fruit with classic strawberry flavor. Some disease resistance. Great cultivar for beginners. Jewel. June- bearing. Good. Poor. Firm, glossy fruit with excellent flavor. Tolerates molds and rots. Heavy producer. Mesabi (1. June- bearing. Excellent. Poor. Large, firm berries with very good flavor. Few disease problems. Winona (1. 99. 7)June- bearing. Very good. Poor. Large, firm berries with very good flavor. Recommended for difficult conditions. Good disease resistance. Honeoye. June- bearing. Excellent. Very good. Very productive. Aromatic, large, glossy, crimson berries with excellent flavor. Disease resistant and easy to grow. Cavendish. June- bearing. Excellent. Very good. Ripens over a long season. Produces large berries with very good flavor. Prolific runners. Ogallala. Ever- bearing. Excellent. Very good. Vigorous plants produce soft, deep red, rich- flavored berries. Drought tolerant. Seascape. Day neutral. Very good. Poor. Productive from early summer through fall. Bright red berries inside and out. Great for containers and garden beds. Albion. Day neutral. Fair. Poor. Medium, firm berries have excellent flavor. Produces consistently from June until frost. Great for containers or in the garden. Alpine strawberry. Day neutral. Excellent. Good. Not a cultivar but a different type/species of strawberry. Grows well in part shade. Does not produce runners, so plants remain small. Getting started. Dormant transplants have no visible growth and might look dead, but they will sprout quickly once planted. Buying plants. Although most garden centers sell strawberry plants in spring, many of the best cultivars for Minnesota are available only from online or mail- order sources. A quick web search will help you locate nurseries that carry the cultivars you would like to plant. These nurseries generally ship dormant, bare root plants at the appropriate time for planting in your region. Don't be alarmed when the plants arrive looking small and brown; they have not started growing yet. Keep them moist and cool, and plant them as soon as possible. You will be relieved to see fresh green growth appearing within a week or so. If you buy potted plants from a garden center, look for vigorous plants without any discolored or dead foliage. Keep the soil in the pot moist until planting. Preparation. Strawberries require sun to produce fruit. Ten or more hours of sunlight each day is ideal. Plants that receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day should grow well and produce a good crop, but berries will be fewer and fruit quality reduced compared to plants receiving more sun. Choose a site located away from trees and buildings that cast shade for more than a few hours each day. Because trees will compete for water and nutrients as well as cast shade, the strawberry bed should lay beyond the root zone of large trees. The root zone roughly corresponds to the canopy of a tree. Before planting, a soil test will help you determine which, if any, nutrients are lacking in your soil. It's almost always a good idea to work some well- rotted compost into the soil before planting. Compost helps add nutrients to the soil, improves drainage, and increases microbial activity, all of which will benefit the plants. Plant spacing. If planting a large number of strawberries with a goal of maximum production, you might want to follow guidelines for commercial production and plant in rows. This facilitates weed control and other management aspects you'll read about later. There are numerous methods of row planting that work well for strawberries, but by far the most common method is the matted row system. In this system, plants are spaced about 1. Remember, June- bearing plants especially will send out many runners throughout the season and fill in the space between plants, so it's important to go with the recommended spacing, otherwise your plants will quickly become overcrowded. If you're interested in this level of production, you might want to check out the University of Minnesota's interactive e- book entitled Cold Climate Strawberry Farming for everything you need to know about commercial strawberry production. Strawberries enhance perennial borders with color and texture. Strawberries in the landscape. Strawberries need not be planted in rows when incorporated into the home landscape. Day neutral types work well at the front of a perennial border or along a sidewalk or driveway. Because they produce fewer runners than June- bearing types, maintenance is minimal. Strawberry plants may also be grown as a ground cover. To grow a strawberry ground cover, space the mother plants in a grid, either 1 x 1 foot or 2 x 2 feet. The planting will require regular weeding, in the first year especially, but maintenance should be minimal after the plants are established. Strawberries grown as a ground cover may not produce quite as much fruit as those grown in rows, but the plants will add a beautiful touch to your landscape. Planting depth. Plant dormant strawberry transplants in spring as soon as the soil is warm enough to easily get a trowel into it. Potted plants should be planted soon after purchase, after risk of frost is past. It is important to plant dormant transplants at the right depth. If the crowns are planted too shallow they lose water and can die. If the crowns are planted too deeply the leaves may not be able to emerge from the soil. If planting a growing plant bought from a nursery or garden center, simply plant at the same depth the plant was in the container. Dormant transplants will have no growth, but will sprout quickly when exposed to light and warm temperatures. Plant so the center of the crown (red line) is at the soil line - the roots fully buried and growth points visible. Transplants can be planted into a trench as seen here, or into holes dug for each plant. This transplant has been planted at the proper depth. The roots are fully below the soil line and the growth points are visible above the soil. Watering. After planting, firm the soil around the plant and water thoroughly. Strawberries perform best when they are given the equivalent of 1 inch of rainwater per week. Use a rain gauge to monitor rainfall and irrigate with a soaker hose or overhead sprinkler if needed. One good soaking each week should suffice in most soil types. Always water early in the day so that foliage has a chance to dry before nightfall. This will help prevent leaf diseases. Through the seasons. Remember to place or remove runners regularly throughout the season, or they will quickly take over your garden. Spring of planting year.
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