I Have a Strawberry Patch and So Can You!

When I first bought my house, my goal was an edible yard. My first order of business was to clear out a planter in the front and convert it into a strawberry patch. Although the clearing of the planter took a little time (due to the unsightly and ridiculously large bush left in it by the previous owner), the prepping of the soil and planting of the berries only took about 30 minutes. Not only that, the upkeep is minimal and they produce pretty much year round here in California. I know that isn’t necessarily the case in other places but strawberries are very hardy and they do stay green year round most anywhere in the country so they never become an eye sore. They can even be used as ground cover since they send out shooters to reproduce, covering more ground and filling in gaps as time goes on.

Strawberries, like most outdoor plants, like a lot of sun so choose a spot that gets a lot of sun exposure. We're talking "all day long on the beach" exposure. The plants will need to be spaced 4-6” apart so select your location and decide how many plants you’ll need based on this. I personally wouldn’t plant less than 15-20 plants if you want to see any kind of return. The great thing I experienced was that my plants started producing berries within a month of being put in! Trust me, you will be happy you did this when you’re eating ripe, juicy berries straight off the vine this summer.

Ingredients:

Plot of land, area of yard, planter, or garden box to locate your patch
Good quality vegetable or patio soil (sold in large bags)
Strawberry plants
Shovel
Trowel (hand shovel)
Water

Directions:

Clear the location you’ve selected so there are no roots, weeds, grass, or any other things growing there. Use your shovel to upturn the ground. Cover with a couple inches of the good soil and mix it in by chopping the shovel into the dirt to break up the clumps and mix in the new soil. Set out the strawberry plants on top of the soil where you intend to place them. Make any needed adjustments then plant each one according to the directions on the package. You can use the trowel to dig the small holes for the plants. Once you have them in the ground, gently pack soil around them and soak each one with water for 15- 20 seconds. You should water them every day for the first three days; after that, you can reduce watering to every-other-day for a week. Once the plants have enjoyed their new home for 10 or so days, you can cut back on the watering and hit them once a week.

Pro tips:

- To keep weeds to a minimum, use the clippings from your lawn to pack around the base of the plants and to cover all the dirt in your patch.

- Pruning encourages plants to grow. Prune your strawberry plants by pulling off dead leaves from around the base and removing berries that have gone bad.

- Don’t be sad if you only get a few in the first season. Each season gets better and better so be patient.
- You will soon be picking a quart every-other-day (like me)!