Growing sweet strawberries in your own garden or even snacking from the balcony - this dream can be easily fulfilled. We explain how to plant strawberries.
- Strawberries from your own garden - who doesn't dream of it?
- You can also grow the sweet fruits on the balcony.
- We explain what you need to know about planting time, location and care.
Strawberries are probably the most popular summer fruits: whether on cake, in a milkshake or simply picked from the plant - strawberries are always well received. If you want to enjoy them in your own garden, you only have to consider a few things. We explain everything you should know about planting strawberries.
In spring or autumn? When are strawberries planted?
Strawberries are usually planted in late summer for the following year. The optimal time is from mid-July to September . However, if you still want to plant on the quick strawberries in spring, you can get so-called frigo plants . They are taken from the ground in winter and hibernated as seedlings. In spring you can use them in your home garden and after about ten to twelve weeks the first fruits will appear. To do this, the frost plants must be planted between late April and mid-June . But also monthly or climbing strawberries grow best if you come into the earth in spring. In addition, potted wild strawberries can be placed in frost-free soil almost all year round.
Planting strawberries: you have to take this into account when it comes to the location
Strawberries grow best in full sun , as they also bear particularly sweet fruits. In addition, it should be a sheltered but not completely windless place . This ensures less freezing back in winter, but at the same time leaves dry better after rain or watering in light winds, which prevents fungal diseases. Also make sure that it is a location that is rarely affected by late frosts, otherwise the first flowering will be lost.
The soil itself should be deep, loose, humus-rich and fertile . A soil that is too firm limits the development of the plants *. The pH value is ideally between 5.5 and 6.5 , which is in the weakly acidic to acidic range. Improve an unprocessed clay soil with sand and rotted leaf compost before planting the strawberries. You can also ventilate a dense soil if you start with alfalfa last year because its roots penetrate deep into the soil.
Before the actual strawberry planting, the soil is also prepared in autumn by digging it as deep as possible with a spade. The compost is then worked into the sandy soil so that it is ready for planting in spring. If you plant the plants in late summer, this task can also be done two months before.
How to plant strawberries in the garden
When planting, make sure that the rows are at least 60 centimeters apart so that you can harvest the strawberries later. A distance of 25 to 30 centimeters between the plants is sufficient within the rows. Place the strawberry plants so deep in the planting hole that their heart remains above the surface of the earth. With young plants in particular, it is important that roots are not kinked , but rather placed vertically and with plenty of space in the planting hole. The depth of the planting hole should therefore correspond approximately to the length of the roots.
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How to properly care for and fertilize the strawberries
Especially when the strawberries are freshly planted, you need a lot of water . Put this on the ground next to the plants and not directly on them. You should also ensure that weeds do not spread in the bed and always carefully remove them.
As soon as the first green fruits appear on the plants, mulch the bed with straw . This way you keep the moist soil away from the fruits and thus prevent gray mold . On top of that, less weeds form and the strawberries don't get so dirty.
Planting strawberries: make sure you have the right crop rotation
The greatest yields come from strawberries in the second or third year of perennials. After that, the plants gradually age, which reduces the yield. Therefore, you should then change the bed and use new seedlings or your own offshoots .
Since strawberries belong to the rose family, which are described as sensitive to replicas , you should only plant them in a bed in which strawberries were planted after a four-year break . Otherwise there is soil fatigue and yields are poor. If the soil is planted too one-sided, you also run the risk of harmful roundworms (nematodes) or root fungi. For the pre- and post-cultivation of strawberries, leafy vegetables such as garlic or onion are among the options. In contrast, lupines (lupinus), student flowers (tagetes) or crimson clover are suitable for green manuring.
In contrast, you should not plant strawberries in beds in which there were cucumbers *, tomatoes *, celery, potatoes *, beans, peas or cabbages in the previous year. All of these plants can be infected by the Verticillium wilt and therefore pose a disease risk for the strawberries.
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Can strawberries be planted in a pot on the balcony?
If you don't have a garden, you can also use your balcony to plant strawberries. To do this, you need a full-sun location, but forest or monthly berries also grow in partial shade . As a potting soil, you should choose a nutrient-rich substrate that is also loosely sourced. A good garden soil that has been mixed with compost is suitable for this.
In the planter you should also provide good drainage with potsherds or gravel above the bottom opening . Then put the strawberries back on so that the heart stays above the surface and ensure a minimum distance of 25 centimeters between the plants. Hardy strawberries can also overwinter on the balcony or terrace.
Compost, horse manure or fern can be used as a natural fertilizer. Alternatively, you can also choose between liquid fertilizers from the trade.
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* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editors network.