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Ripe, sweet and juicy strawberries are probably the most delicious summer treat. Is there any way of enjoying freshly-picked strawberries right from our own backyard? The answer, fortunately, is ‘Yes’. Everybody can enjoy growing and tending to strawberries even if there is not much room available by resorting to planting strawberries in container.
The strawberry plant is a small, bush-like plant, with small rounded, serrated leaves that originate from one central point of the plant. Strawberries bear small, white flowers, which then turn into the fruit we all know. Strawberries are green at first, and by the time they turn red they have ripened and are ready for picking.
In order to make planting strawberries in container a success, you must bear in mind that strawberries hang from the plant. If the fruit touches the soil, it rots and is wasted. The only way to avoid this is by making sure the hanging fruit never comes into contact with the soil.
The only way to do this is to follow the following steps when preparing the container. First of all, bear in mind that strawberries like well-drained, slightly acid soil. Make sure that the container has several drainage holes. Cover these with at least an inch of pebbles, and then add the soil. If possible, enrich the soil with organic material. Once this is done, it is time for one of the most important steps to planting strawberries in container. You should take a large garbage bag or a piece of sturdy plastic foil, cut it the size of the diameter of your container and then make as many holes (about1 inch in diameter) as the plants you are going to plant in the container. The number of strawberry plants depends on the size of the container, since they need to be separated by at least 10 inches. Plant your strawberry plants in the holes, and water them. Remember not to water too much to avoid root rot.
Place the container in a sunny spot in your yard or patio. Strawberry plants are quite resistant to cold but frost could ruin the flowers. Bear this in mind when you choose the right spot for them. Water the plants frequently and fertilize them every three months. Planting strawberries in container will bear its rewards when towards spring time; you finally see white flowers forming at the ends of long stems. After three months, the strawberries should be ready. Pick them as you need them, since they will last longer on the plant than in your fridge. However, if you notice that they are turning too soft, gather them all and use them for jam. If left on the plant they will attract birds, which will ruin them.
Follow these easy tips and you will see that planting strawberries in container is quite an easy task. You only need to make sure you separate the fruit from the wet soil, water frequently and fertilize regularly. Get ready to enjoy you very own home-grown strawberries!
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Plant Propagation and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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