It’s time to grow!
Winter is done, and the days are getting longer. Growing plants is a great way to surprise your family. Strawberries are easy to grow, and nothing is better then harvesting and eating food you grow yourself. It’s easy to get started so grab your adult and get your hands dirty. Get ready to be a whiz at growing strawberries!
Strawberries!
Fresh juicy berries straight off the vine on a hot summer day usually TASTE so much better when you grow them. And you can add your delicious berries to salads, desserts and other recipes or just wash them and eat them!
What you need
• A wide shallow pot because strawberry roots don’t grow deep. They also send out runners (baby plants) that will root and grow more strawberries. You might even be able to find something around the yard to use.
• Plenty of sunlight so look for a spot with 6 or more hours of sunlight a day.
• Rich soil is where plants get their nutrients from – kind of like plant vitamins. Potting mix or compost will keep those roots healthy.
• A large pot or container at least 12 inches deep and 18 inches across with holes for drainage. Use the ruler on the side of this page if you need to.
• Two or three EVERBEARING Strawberry plants – Ask for Everbearing plants or make sure you read the tag on the pot because they produce fruit all summer. Pick your plants at a garden center, plant nursery or store. Look for healthy green leaves.
COOL FACTS!
Charles V, France’s king from 1364 to 1380, had
1,200 strawberry plants in his royal garden.
The strawberry is not, from a botanical point of view, a berry because the seeds are on the outside of the fruit
In 2016, world production of strawberries was 9.2 million tons.
There are two kinds of strawberry plants. Junebearing only produce one crop. Everbearing strawberries produce fruit about every three days.
Here is what you do:
• Take your pot to the spot where you will grow your strawberries.
• Fill your pot with about 8 inches of potting soil.
• Take your plants out of the containers. Sometimes you have to squeeze the sides if there are lots of roots. Loosen up the roots a little bit.
• Put your plants in the soil, and cover them up to where the dirt was in the pot they came in. Leaving them a little higher is okay too.
• Water them after you plant them.
• Make sure to water them every day, unless it rains.
• You will soon see flowers appear, but don’t pick them. That’s where the berries will grow. Now wash your hands, sit back, and check out this pancake taco recipe from Kids in the Kitchen. These would taste amazing topped with your homegrown strawberries!