I was reading with interest the thread about strawberries in hanging baskets --Hollyberry Lady's comments about "gobbling" fresh berries just made my mouth water and I started to wonder if it is too late to plant strawberry plants and expect any berries to grow this season. I'm in Surrey (Lower Mainland, BC) and have a great sunny location for a pot. I just wasn't sure if it was too late for this year (or even if the nurseries still have strawberry plants!). Thanks!
Yes, the nurseries will still have some stawberry plants left. It is too late to plant June bearers from seed, yes. Everbearing plants though, are a whole different story. Even sown from seed this late, you'll likely get a late summer crop. My everbear strawberries produce right through October even. Call around to your nurseries and see what they have... Good luck. Glad my comments inspired you. : )
You know, I'd go ahead and plant them anyways, since the first season you're supposed to pinch the buds to establish a strong root system. Then you'll have a beautiful crop for next year! Homegrown berries are wonderful and my little girls love to watch their progress.
Good thinking, Canadiyank! I just thought that Freyja was trying to find a way to gobble some berries this season though, not next. : )
Oh sure! Who wouldn't want berries this season - yummmm! I was just thinking she'd have even better ones for next year and it's not hurting anything.
If it was me, I wouldn't care if it was this year, or next - I'd plant them everywhere! I think you should see what they have at the nurseries for you, and then go nuts! Next Spring, if you give me your address - I'll come and help you harvest them! : O
Thanks! I will certainly contact the nurseries and see what they have, because I was looking at the berries in the grocery store today and they just can't compare at all with fresh ones!
No, those imported things they call berries, are gross! White on the inside - yuck. Good luck finding some great strawberry plants. : )
Being mid-June now... I would just buy the more-or-less mature everbearing plants (possibly in a strawberry urn or basket)... individual seedling plants are fine, too... but they'd be kind of big and outgrowing the seedling pots now... just transplant them... in the environment suggested by any strawberry growing literature...and just watch the flowers already blooming turn into berries in a few days... You skip most of the work and wait... but you pay for it... and it's the most direct way to have some fresh strawberries to gobble... considering it's mid-June already... ;) One tip for strawberries in bed (not in urns or baskets, hanging in mid-air)... Instead of using straw to cushion the forming berries, I suggest using styro-foam egg carton bottoms (with the division for eggs) turned upside down... they are completely inert (won't rot / react with water)... can be washed / rinsed down if dirtied... soft enough to not bruise the berries... hard enough to hold the shape and stable enough to hold the position... and they're FREE and EVERYWHERE !! Have fun !!