It feels like I’m a little late to the party, what with this being mid-July and all, but I’m just harvesting my first strawberries now.
Guess what? It was worth the wait.
Gardening for everyone
It feels like I’m a little late to the party, what with this being mid-July and all, but I’m just harvesting my first strawberries now.
Guess what? It was worth the wait.
Zoe says
But you’ve already picked tomatoes! I am always blown away by how differently the season progresses on the west coast. Enjoy your berries :)
Andrea Bellamy says
Zoe – I know! Bizarre, isn’t it?
Helen says
The little strawberry seedlings I planted a couple of months back are now big, but I haven’t seen any berries. Am I doing something wrong, or do I just need to cultivate some patience?
Andrea Bellamy says
Helen – Unfortunately, there could be a number of reasons why your strawberries aren’t producing. Often when a plant has great foliage but isn’t producing fruit, excess nitrogen is to blame (that’s the nutrient responsible for leafy growth. Rock phosphate is a good vegan source of phosphorus, which helps fruit production. You could scratch a bit of that in around the base of your plants.
If you planted an “ever-bearing” type (rather than a “June-bearing”) they tend to produce fewer berries over a longer period of time. Although fewer doesn’t usually mean none ;)
It could also be that strawberries produce best in their second year… maybe patience is the answer? I also recommend snipping off any runners (those long shoots strawberries send out to make new babies) in order to force the plant’s energy into fruit production.
Strawberries also don’t like full shade, or competition from weeds.
Hope this helps!