Strawberries are the most loved of all summer fruits. For this reason, a lot of people want to learn how to grow strawberries in their backyards. Although harvest time is still 6 to 10 months as maximum, it is not that difficult to plant strawberries, especially if you know the correct considerations. Matter of fact, they can crop as early as three weeks time. This makes strawberry plants suitable even to amateur growers.

Strawberries are perennial herbaceous plants having edible fruits. What makes it very different to grow strawberries is the fact that their actual seeds are produced outside the fruit itself. More than that, it features a bright reddish color that makes them all the more attractive to birds.

Important considerations when growing strawberries include soil that are well-dug free draining and has moisture-retaining properties. This becomes possible when organic matter is applied into the soil. Strawberry plants also need a full sunlight and should be protected from the wind. With proper care and nourishment, you can get strawberries that average 23 by 20 centimeters at around 350 grams per plant.

As a summer fruit, strawberry plants can crop over very short periods. At the most is in a span 3 weeks. For perpetual strawberries, they can produce up to 3 flushes of fruit which can crop through the summer season.

When considering to grow strawberries, the first thing that comes to the mind of most people is frost. This is since they're noted as very hardy plants that can tolerate the winter season. However, they're no longer hardy during the burst of spring as they produce flowers at this time. One reason is due to their closeness to the ground. This makes it very important to position your strawberries in an area where there is less risk of frost, wherein, the best is still higher ground.

To produce better and earlier fruits, it is ideal to use cloches. Next, sun and wind exposure is also essential. You need to grow strawberries in your garden's sunniest position where it is also less windy. Too many insects and wind can hinder plant pollination.

As a tip, never plant strawberries near growing tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplants. They can pass a type of serious disease to strawberries called "verticillium wilt". Another factor to consider is if the land had grass previously growing on it. In this case, never plant strawberries in the area because it already has vast numbers of wireworms that will love eating your strawberries before you can even see them.

The best place to grow strawberries are on raised beds. This is since the soil in this type can retain the moisture which they love. At the same time, there is no danger of water logging where strawberries can rot. For raised beds, you need to feed liquid tomato fertilizer into the soil every 2 weeks.

Since strawberries don't have deep roots, well-dug soil that is about a spade's depth is highly favored. This is why it is important to prepare the soil a month prior to planting. You also need to incorporate organic matter as much as you can as well as 2 handfuls of bonemeal for every square meter. You can apply a recommendable dose of general fertilizer a couple of days prior to planting. A good one is Growmore.