Whether on cake, on breakfast bread or freshly picked, everyone likes the sweet red fruit. The strawberry is incredibly easy to care for and of course always tastes much better from your own garden or balcony. We will show you how you can grow your own strawberries and what you need to pay particular attention to.
The story of the red fruit
All strawberry varieties that are planted in the garden or on the balcony today came from overseas. French settlers discovered scarlet strawberries in the 18th century. This strawberry variety grew on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River and had gigantic sized fruits. The native wild berry had been known for a long time, but the fruits were very small in contrast to the scarlet strawberry.
In 1750 a Dutch plant breeder crossed the scarlet strawberry with the Chilean strawberry, he called this strawberry variety "pineapple strawberry" and today's cultivated strawberry was born.
There are now more than 1,000 strawberry varieties, only a small proportion of which are available in stores. For this reason, many hobby gardeners are now planting some older varieties, including wild berries.
Despite its small fruit, the wild berry, also known as the month strawberry, is still very popular with hobby gardeners today. For example, it is able to grow in semi-shady places and they form a lot of flowers and thus fruits. They are much more robust than the cultivated strawberry and will last for several years in your garden or on your balcony.
When do you have to plant the strawberries ?
Strawberry cultivation usually begins in July through to the end of September. However, some strawberry plants, such as the climbing strawberry, can be planted as early as mid-March to the end of May.
The right place to grow strawberries
Strawberries need a sunny and wind-protected location. The soil should be loose and permeable to prevent waterlogging.
Tip: the more sun your strawberry plant gets, the sweeter its fruit will be.
How to grow your strawberry plant
You can buy young plants in any garden center in early summer. However, you can also grow strawberry plants yourself.
Step 1: Sowing for growing strawberry plants begins at the end of January and ends in mid-March. Monthly strawberries can bear fruit in the same year. With other varieties it can happen that you can only harvest fruit in the following year.
Step 2: Fill a bowl or pot with potting soil and distribute the seeds as evenly as possible. Don't cover them with soil, just press them down lightly.
Step 3: Now moisten the soil a little and cover the jar with cling film.
Step 4: Place your plants in a bright place, without direct sunlight, with a temperature of around 20°C.
Step 5: after about 2-6 weeks the seeds will start to germinate. As soon as the seedlings have 5 leaves, you should carefully plant the young plants in small pots with lightly fertilized soil.
Step 6: after 10 weeks you should fertilize the young plants for the first time. From May you can then put them outdoors. Keep a planting distance of 20-30cm here.
Tip: However, you should not plant your strawberry plants in freshly dug soil. 14 days before planting, it should be weeded, raked and freed from roots and stones.
Urban gardening: growing strawberries on the balcony
Of course, you can also grow strawberries on the balcony. A prerequisite for this is a sunny balcony.A south or south-west balcony is particularly suitable
Balcony boxes are ideal for growing strawberries. The plants can be planted in a row very easily and thus do not shade each other. The minimum distance should also be 20 cm here. So you can already grow 5 strawberries in a 100cm box.
Proper care after growing strawberries
As soon as the strawberry plant bears small fruits, you should cover the soil with straw or bark mulch. If the fruits touch the ground, they can quickly become mushy and be attacked by pests more quickly.
Watering your strawberry plants
Strawberry plants do not require a lot of maintenance. Adequate water supply is the be-all and end-all. It is very important with strawberries to avoid waterlogging.
Don't fertilize too much
You should use organic fertilizer for fertilizing, since the fruits are eaten. Commercial flower fertilizers can contain chemical elements that you certainly do not want in your food.
You should fertilize your young plant for the first time about 10 weeks after sowing. Then again after the harvest.
You can also easily produce fertilizer yourself, you can find out how this works here.
Harvest at last
The time of harvest depends on the variety. The range extends from May/June to September or even to the first frost. Some varieties also bear fruit several times a year, while others bear fruit only once.
Everbearing strawberry varieties are e.g.:
Forest Queen: She has beautiful white flowers, which then bear deep red strawberries
Ostara: This is the leading variety among the monthly strawberries
Frapendula: It is an excellent variety for traffic lights and is therefore particularly suitable for the balcony
Hibernation: cutting beforehand is particularly important
Strawberry plants are hardy, so they can easily be kept on your balcony during the cold months. The strawberry plants should be in a wind-protected place over the winter. In the best case on a house wall.
Before the plants can hibernate, you should remove their leaves. However, the heart leaves should remain. If you don't remove the leaves, fungi can form or other unwanted diseases can attack the plants in the cool months.
In order to protect the roots of the plant over the cold months, you should place your plant box on an insulating material, e.g. polystyrene or wood. If the winter is particularly cold, you can also cover your plants with straw or fleece. However, straw should not cover the entire plant as it contributes to fungal growth.
If your strawberry plants are under a protective canopy, you should water them occasionally on frost-free days. If you water too much, the next frost can freeze the soil and damage the roots.
Cultivating strawberries can be that easy. A sunny spot, fertilize before planting and after harvest, and provide plenty of water. This is how easy it is to grow strawberries. Try some unusual strains like Framberry Strawberry Strawberry or Purple Fresh.
You can't just grow strawberries on your balcony, how about a pumpkin? Here we show you how to plant your own Halloween pumpkin.
Or have a look at our shop, here we have some exciting houseplants for you.
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