|
If you enjoy gardening, there is nothing more satisfying than being able to pick your own fruit directly from the plants you have been nourishing and carefully tending to for months. Even more so, if those fruits are big, red, ripe and juicy strawberries! It doesn’t matter where you live, nor whether you have a garden or not, because you can get excellent results by growing strawberry plants in pots.
Growing strawberry plants in pots is an excellent way out for those who live in very cold areas, where strawberries cannot be planted outside, for those who live in a hot, dry climate, or for people who do not have a back yard. All you really need is a sunny window with about six hours of sunlight a day, good soil, water and a couple of tips!
In order to make growing strawberry plants in pots a success, you need to get hold of an adequate-sized container. Make sure it has an adequate drainage hole, since strawberries need a well-drained soil. Cover the bottom of the pot with some pebbles or pieces of clay from a broken clay pot, and then fill it with a good potting mixture full of organic material. Strawberries like rich soil, so make sure you enrich the soil with compost, manure, peat or any other organic fertilizer. After this, get a plastic bag and cut a circle the same diameter as your pot, and make a hole in the middle. Place the circle of plastic on top of the soil and plant the strawberry plant in the center. In this way, the soil will be covered by the plastic bag. This needs to be done because the strawberries will form at the end of long stems. If your strawberries come into contact with the soil, they are likely to rot. The plastic prevents them from touching the soil and ensures they are not ruined.
Strawberries need watering, but too much water can kill them. Make sure the pot drains well and water only when the top is dry (to water, lift the plastic and water under it). The plastic should prevent evaporation, so you may not need to water as often as other plants in your house. Check the soil before adding more water. Once the plants are established, you will see they produce small, white flowers. These will later turn into strawberries. Fertilize your strawberry plants when they are in bloom with a good fertilizer. In this way, you will be ensuring a good crop for the summer. That is all there is to growing strawberry plants in pots! When summer comes, hand-pick each strawberry and leave the rest of the plant intact. Strawberry plants are perennial, which means you will be able to get strawberries from each plant for many years!
Growing strawberry plants in pots is really that simple! Six hours of sunlight, adequate watering, rich soil and a good fertilizer will do the trick, and you will feel the satisfaction of harvesting and eating your own strawberries!
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about container gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](images/rss.gif "Subscribe to our XML Feed for RSS")
(Read 500+ times)
