If you live in an apartment, a condominium, or any other facility where dirt is hard to come by, and you love strawberries, you can grow them in containers. Once you have your first batch of strawberries this summer you will never want to go back to the produce section, at your local grocery store, to purchase the delicious berry.
First, you will need a pot. It should stand a minimum of 24 inches tall. It should have a wide mouth. The ideal container will offer six to eight pockets on the sides. Once your container is located where you want it you will need to fill it with potting soil. First, though, in some type of container or tub it is better to premoisten the soil to prevent air bubbles and to stop the soil from floating out of the pot when it first receives water. Your strawberries will thrive if you add some organic fertiizer. It is best to get a granulated organic fertilizer of high quality. Make certain it will drain easily. Try to stay away from premixed and time-released fertilizer. It is also best to not use water absorbing polymers.
Another tip that will make your strawberry plants thrive is to make certain the water percolates through the whole pot. You can do this by installing a gravel column. This should be placed in the middle of the pot. You can do this by cutting a piece of cardboard tubing. You then place the tube vertically into the center of the empty pot. It is best to fill it with pea gravel to within one inch of the top of the pot. This is followed by adding some potting mix to the container. Now you can place one strawberry plant in a pocket. First you should separate the roots. When planting it make sure to angle the plant’s roots downward. Now you need to add more potting mix to cover the roots. Use your fingers to firm the mixture around the plant to make certain it is secure. Next, go to the next pocket and repeat what you did for the first plant. Continue doing this until the six or eight pockets each have their own strawberry plant. You can also plant two or three plants in the top of the pot. Make certain it is full but not crowded. There needs to be sufficient space, between the top of the soil, and the rim of the pot, to allow for watering.
Now you can remove the plastic tubing. Gently wiggle it back and forth and pull it out slowly. When you water make certain to give each pocket a drink. Depending on your location, and how hot it gets, you will probably need to water once per day and, if it is extremely hot, twice a day.
You will also need to spray your plants when they first begin to flower. A good liquid fish emulsion is great for this task. Following the initial spraying you should spray once a month throughout the season. When your strawberries start to grow make certain they are a nice reddish color and tender. When they reach this point you can pull it, wash it, and it is ready to eat. Depending on your location the strawberries might return in the spring.
You can select from a variety of pots, even cans, to plant your strawberry plant. You may already have several in your home. Once you find a suitable container the potting process is simple and takes very little time. The care is very basic – water and spray the plants. If you follow this procedure you will have strawberries throughout the summer.
