An Easy Choice: Bare Root vs. Strawberry Plant Plug
Strawberry plugs vs. bare root plants. Which one is better and why?
November 9, 2021
Planting Schedule By Zone
Zone 7 – Mid September – Mid October
Zone 8 – Month of October
Zone 9 – Mid October – Mid November
Need help finding your zone? Click Here to find it!
Soil & Fertilizer Requirements
- Retains water but is also well-draining. Sandy loam soil is the best option.
- pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
- Rich in organic materials
- Good quality compost added to the soil
HOSS always recommends getting a soil sample to your local extension office several weeks before planting. Once you get your results, you will need plenty of time to adjust your soil accordingly and make sure your strawberry plants are getting the best nutrients possible as soon as they hit the ground.
Click Here to find your local extension office.
Raised Bed Strawberry Fertilizer Schedule
Several Weeks Before Planting
Test your soil at your local extension office.
1 Week Before Planting
After adjusting soil pH to 6.0 – 6.5, mix 1 1/2 cups per 10 ft. of row of Hoss Complete Organic Fertilizer with your soil.
2 Weeks After Planting
Mix 1 cup Hoss Premium 20-20-20 Fertilizer – AND – 1 cup Hoss Micro-Boost Micronutrient Supplement with 5 gallons of water. Each plant gets 1 quart of the solution next to the plant stem. Repeat every 2-3 weeks.
Once Plant Produces Flowers
Reduce 20-20-20 Fertilizer to 1/4 cup. Micro-Boost will remain at 1 cup per 5 gallons of water.
3-4 Weeks Before Harvest
Discontinue fertilizing
In-Ground Strawberry Fertilizer Schedule
Several Weeks Before Planting
Test your soil at your local extension office.
1 Week Before Planting
After adjusting soil pH to 6.0 – 6.5, mix 1 1/2 cups per 10 ft. of row of Hoss Complete Organic Fertilizer with your soil.
2 Weeks After Planting
Using the Hoss Fertilizer Injector, Mix 1-2 lbs Hoss Premium 20-20-20 Fertilizer – AND – 1-2 cups Hoss Micro-Boost Micronutrient Supplement per 1,000 sq ft of garden.
Every 2-3 Weeks
Alternate 2-4 lbs. Hoss Calcium Nitrate – AND – 1-2 cups Hoss Micro-Boost Micronutrient Supplement per 1,000 sq ft of garden.
Once Plant Produces Flowers
Reduce 20-20-20 Fertilizer to 1/4 – 1/2 lb. and reduce Calcium Nitrate to 1/2 – 1 lbs. Micro-Boost will remain at 1-2 cups per 1,000 sq ft of garden.
3- 4 Weeks Before Harvest
Discontinue fertilizing
Proper Strawberry Planting Techniques
In-Ground Planting
Row Spacing – 3 feet
Plant Spacing – 12 to 18 inches
Raised Bed Planting
Row Spacing – 2 feet
Plant Spacing – 12 inches
When planting strawberry plants, be sure the crown is out of the soil but the roots aren’t exposed. Plant them too deep and they will rot. Plant them too shallow and the exposed roots will cause the plant to die. Be sure the roots are pointing down and not curved and mound your soil around the plant and firm up the soil around the crown.
Strawberry Pest & Disease Protection
The most common pests for Strawberry plants in Zones 7-9 are aphids, thrips, spider mites, tarnished plant bugs, slugs, and, of course, birds. The most common diseases present in strawberry plants are crown rot , powdery mildew, red stele, leather rot, leaf blight and leaf spot.
Shop Our Hand Selected Strawberry Plants!
Strawberry Tips & Tricks
Lots of Sunshine = Happy Strawberries
Strawberry plants absolutely LOVE the sun and need no less than 8-10 hours of direct sunlight during the day. As long as you take care to shade them if temperatures reach over 85°F, your plants should be just fine when hot weather comes around.
Trim Your Blooms and Runners
June bearing strawberry plants usually produce a lot of runners and blooms that you’ll want to remove until at least January. Crowded runners can promote disease in the crop and daughter plants will take away much-needed sustenance from the mother plant.
Irrigation Is Key
After you plant your strawberries, taking great care to irrigate them properly is arguably the most important step in the process. Strawberries need 1”-1.5” per week regardless of whether or not you are planting in-ground or in a raised bed.
Our drip irrigation system installed under whichever mulch you choose keeps the moisture away from the fruit and leaves and conserves water by making sure it only waters exactly what needs it.
Harvesting Your Strawberry Plants
After all the love and care you’ve taken through the fall and winter months, your strawberry plants have finally begun to bear fruit! During this 2-3 weeks period, you should have lots of berries to tend and harvest. Because strawberries don’t continue to ripen after they’re picked, knowing when to harvest is important.
Generally, once your strawberries are at least 3/4 of the way red, they are ripe enough to pick. Different varieties have different flavor profiles depending on when you decide to harvest. Try them at different stages and see what you like best.
- Cut the stem when harvesting. Pulling the berry could result in damage to the plant.
- Squeeze the berry to check for softness. Ripe berries should be slightly soft but not mushy.
- Inspect the berries to make sure they’re red all the way through.
- Wait 2-3 days between harvests to keep from stressing the plant.
Strawberry Plants And Mulch: A Love Story
Learn To Grow Strawberries At Home With HOSS University
November 4, 2021
Strawberry Growing Guide
Growing strawberries in the fall is easy with this comprehensive guide.
November 3, 2021
