UF/IFAS Okeechobee Extension Service

UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: indianco@ufl.edu

November 3, 2004

Feature Article - for release the week of November 7, 2004

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Strawberry Gardening

Do you have a little room in your Florida Garden for a delicious springtime treat? While the commercial crops have already been planted, local garden centers may be able to supply home gardeners with strawberry plants. Add them now to the garden, and be rewarded in the early spring with delicious, fresh Florida berries.

The key to growing strawberries in the home garden is to find pest-free plants and place them in properly prepared beds. Today’s column will give home gardeners some hints on how to be "berry"- successful with this delicious garden plant.

Strawberries in Florida are grown as an annual plant. They are handled much like a vegetable crop rather than a fruiting plant. While gardeners from the north may be able to coax a few growing seasons out of their strawberry patch, local growers are advised to replace strawberry plants because of pest buildup. In addition, the highest quality fruit is produced on relatively young plants.

Home gardeners can look to garden centers for either bare-root plants, plugs or sometimes small plants in pots. Florida strawberry transplants are grown in North Carolina, California or Canada, and excess plants are sometimes available from commercial strawberry growers in west-central Florida. Home garden varieties for Florida are the same as those found in the commercial fields. Currently, Sweet Charlie, Earlibright, and Festival are popular. Earlibrite was judged to have high consumer acceptance among Florida strawberry varieties.

Sweet Charlie

Earlibrite

Strawberry Festival

The season for strawberries depends on temperature, and we have the right stuff for plants to produce flowers on these spreading plants. Ideal temperatures for strawberry fruiting occur when the nights are above 50 degrees and the days stay below 80 degrees. Short days are also needed to stimulate flowering.

Well drained sandy soils with a slightly acid pH will also insure success. Build up the rows of the strawberry patch by digging ditches on either side of the row, and throwing this soil into a mound. The mound should be 7-9 inches deep (see distance A in diagram at left) above the surrounding garden soil. Flattened strawberry beds should be 12 inches wide (distance B).

Granular fertilizer can be added to the mound as the rows are prepared. Two pounds per 10 feet of row of 10-10-10 are suggested by UF Strawberry researchers. However, local soils have sufficient phosphorus, and a lower middle number should be adequate. (click here for photos of nutritional deficiencies.) Look for a garden fertilizer with at least half of the nitrogen source in slow release forms. For best results, 1 to 1.5 ml thick plastic sheets (mulch) are used to cover the beds; plastic mulches should not be clear in color. Straw or spoiled hay could also be used in the home garden; all will help reduce weeds, fruit diseases and manage soil moisture.

A short 2-3 inch slit in the plastic is made with a knife every 12 inches (distance C at left) , and two staggered rows of plants can be planted on a foot-wide bed (photo at right). Plants should be set with their crown just above the soil surface. Starter solutions mixed according to the label help plants establish themselves more quickly. Irrigation is very important until the transplants begin to grow new roots. It will take about 1 to 2 months from the time of transplanting until the first fruit ripens. Fruit production occurs in two or three cycles, and can be interrupted by freezes.

Major pests of strawberries include several diseases, insects and spider mites. Removing old, diseased leaves from the plants may help reduce future infections. Powdery mildew, a fungal disease that results in leaf distortion and powdery white patches under leaves, is usually brought under control with several different sprays. Major insect pests change with the size of the plant. Early pests are caterpillars, later pests include thrips and very small spider mites. Fruit are bothered by beetles. Birds (bird damage at left) can be effectively excluded from small gardens by covering the plants with bird netting.

Manage these pests by knowing what they look like and keeping an eye out for the predatory insects that consume them. If you need pesticide recommendations for this edible garden crop, please call us. Remember: you will be eating the fruit, so be careful to follow the pesticide label.

Strawberries are ready to harvest when three quarters red. The fruit starts to deteriorate soon after that, so harvest fruit regularly, but at least every two to four days. Ripe strawberries bruise easily, so a gentle picking technique is recommended. Fruit that is held between the thumb and forefingers can be snapped from the fruit stem by twisting the forearm and wrist. Strawberries that are not consumed immediately should be placed in a refrigerator, preferably in a moisture proof container.

Master Gardeners can answer your questions about your Florida Yard - call or visit them here at our office. If you need additional information on strawberry gardening, visit out webpage at http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu , or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is (863) 763-6469.

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

References

Chandler, C.K. Crocker, T.E. Price,J.F. and Albregts, E.E. Growing Strawberries in the Florida Garden. Dover: UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research & Education Center, 10/15/04. http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/growing_strawberries_in_the_flor.htm

Chandler, Craig K., Price, James F, Peres. Natalia A., and Santos, Bielinski M. Growing Strawberries In The Home Garden (HS-1154) Gainesville: Florida Cooperative Extension Service, 12/2008. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs403

Wichman, Tom Strawberries - Gardening in a minute [webpage.] Gainesville: Florida Cooperative Extension Service, October 2009. http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/plants_and_grasses/fruits_vegetables/strawberries.html