3 Must Do Chores For Growing Strawberries in August

[@laurasinkins]

Some kind stranger put their strawberry babies out on the sidewalk with a free plants sign. So I took them home and just started my very first strawberry bed. Thank you, kind stranger!

[@twohomesteads6512]

Thank you for sharing the kindness you experienced. This is the type of news that uplifts us all.

[@kaptynssirensong2357]

That’s really nice. I think I should do that too.

[@MIgardener]

That is awesome!

[@irishk.1041]

Agree with everything you taught about strawberries. EXCEPT the chicken comment 😬🙃. As a chicken mom for years and years. NEVER, EVER put your chickens in your garden. They WILL eat bugs (and that is a good thing). But, chickens "scratch". Hence, they will scratch about and dig up plants. They also will munch on tender new growth leaves etc. Love my fluff bottom girls. But they stay in their run and not in my garden. Long tunnel runs around the outside of your garden. YES! Then they can eat bugs before the creepy crawlers reach your garden and NOT destroy your hard work and your tender plants. Ducks are great for slugs as they don't "scratch". Guinea Hens would work. They don't scratch like chickens do. Hope this helps other gardens & chicken lovers too :)

[@Rogerio45341]

Oh thats fungus, always thought it was sun burn.

[@twohomesteads6512]

Me too.

[@teresehummel4502]

It's helpful to know that I can trim the "umbilicals" from the new plants sooner than I thought was safe/healthy for the baby, and that it will help the mother conserve energy and improve production. Thanks!

[@kristigull]

Relating a strawberry runner to a spider plant made SO much sense to me. Thanks for another super helpful video!

[@BWell247]

I bought bare root strawberry plants from you several years ago and must have given away at least 50 plants this year when I transplanted around 30 to a tower. They are delicious and healthy and grow like crazy!!

[@Daughter_of_the_MostHigh]

They have the best strawberries, i bought some blueberries, and grapes from as well all doing fantastic!

[@ht6684]

I have a ton that I need to go do this with. I gave away about 100 to friends when I dug up one bed this spring, moved some for myself and of course now they have continued on their way to taking over. 🤣

[@WilliamKenderdine]

Hey @ht6684 have you experimented with removing the older strawberry plants, and retiring them in the compost pile? I am asking because my strawberry patch is eight years old, and I know I get more than enough of these baby strawberry plants every year, so it seems like I can reinvigorate the whole strawberry bed by removing the older strawberry plants and keeping the new babies strawberry plants for next year.

[@justynwolf6402]

this was so inspirational. I went right out and checked my greenstalk strawberry patch (all 6 tiers) for questionable leaves (not too many) and for runner babies with tiny rootlets. cut off the babies and potted them up. Didn't bury deep as when we planted the mother strawberries we were told not to bury the crown. So I made "staples" out of the runner stems and gently secured the new babies with their tiny roots into soil using the "staples" to help them be a bit more secure till they get established. thank you so much for the tips and for sharing your enthusiasm, garden knowledge and wonderful smile. :)

[@5points7019]

i was planning on collecting my new pups today...i planted 10 plants this spring i purchased from MiGardener and they went bonkers!!!! Im gonna be out there singing.... here a pup, there a pup, everywhere a pup pup! ol McStephens had a garden... E I E I OOOOOO thank you!!!

[@twohomesteads6512]

Cute.

[@niecieyukiye6654]

What about everbearing Seascape berries that are still producing? What should we be doing with those right now?

[@tfcig2019]

My biggest *’P£ST’* were my chickens! I covered chicken infected plants w/hardwire cIoth., whether it be as a lean to or actual covering. They figured out how to get behind pieces used like a lean to. Then, they figured out, if they *walked atop the horizontal covers* they could eat the strawberries up towards the top! I take all ‘multicolored’ leaves from plants. I thin the leaves left, making sure all plants w/roots, receive sun & make it easier to sprinkle DE to cover ground and each plant.

[@lisaliteration2552]

Always appreciate your videos! We are growing in MN in zone 5a and it’s nice to see content from other northern gardeners who understand the short growing season struggle.

[@irishk.1041]

live in the rocky mountains at 3500'. Got to -31 last winter. My berries LOVE acid mountain soil and they thrive in this cold winter world. Hang in there darlin. Strawberries are hardy little buggers :)

[@amandaforgie8047]

I worked on my strawberries while listening to your video. I'm amazed by how many runners I had.

[@latauarobison6521]

How do you prepare them for over wintering? ❤

[@WilliamKenderdine]

I use pine straw. I added to adapt of about 3 inches over the whole strawberry bed, works well and then in the spring time I just rake up all that pine straw and store it in burlap sacks, and then store it for use again the next year.

[@amyc4398]

​@WilliamKenderdine what if you can't get pine staw then what should we use for overwintering?

[@kjudestevens1519]

Wish strawberry plants were for sale all summer, seems like I keep missing my chance to buy ever-bearing or day bearing. Would love to try growing strawberries inside as they're one of my favorite fruits!

[@WilliamKenderdine]

Try to buy them locally, but if that falls through then just do a Google search. There are a lot of farms that ship strawberry plants of all varieties. I use Nourse Farms, yet feel free to check out any of the others you find online.

[@ellafly3490]

Rabbits ate mine like they were the most delicious thing ever!

[@dalegaa9657]

I've now fenced the raised bed and am noticing new leaves.

[@herelieskittythomas3726]

Interplant onions

[@grandmaofthree897]

I was just doing this tonight! I have some strawberries in a Greenstalk and have planted the babies into empty spaces. It is going well. Tonight I cleaned up my strawberries again!

[@judycee9263]

For a first-time strawberry grower, this was helpful. The japanese beetles were crazy this year, and they feasted on my strawberries and pole beans. I'll be ready for them next year!

[@5points7019]

go hulk smash on em....a few years ago, i went all hulk smash on some emerald ash borer that hatched but were locked in the garage after we harvested a dead ash from the deracho. i wasn't locked in with them... they were locked in with MEEEEE!!!!!

[@judycee9263]

@5points7019 ewwww, I can't smash them, it's just too gross. I can, however, flick them off into a cup of soapy water. I have an ash tree in my yard and have been waging EAB war for several years. The tree is dropping a lot of branches this year, so I'll need to get someone out to take a look. It could be EAB or just the natural end of the tree's life. It's around 30 years old.

[@5points7019]

@judycee9263 I used a fly swatter while the garage door was closed and they were trying to conceal themselves on the white door lols I've had an anti squish mentality up until the last couple years, I stomped the squash bugs that finally found my punkin plants I had hidden in the front yard.. they had already decimated 20 yellow squash plants this summer. No mercy this go round. If that ash tree has lost more than a 1/4 of the top foliage, it may be too late. I can drive thru our town and see ash tree after ash tree dead or dying... the EAB has killed or killing every ash I've come across except for 2 in front of a friend's yard, who started treating them asap... and they're really big in diameter. 30 yrs is young for ash. If you see any holes in the bark shaped like a D, you've got the bug.

[@ginarivers3779]

I grew strawberries this year but found them to be more needy than my vegetables and herbs. Keeping the soil alkaline and having a reliable soil test was a new thing for me. I grew about a dozen plants. Albion and sequoia for my 9b/10a climate. I get about 1-4 berries per day. It was a lot of work for small harvest. But it was a good experience and it is a beautiful plant.

[@readyfuels17]

Acidic soil. You want acidic soil.

[@ginarivers3779]

@@readyfuels17 yes!! Sorry. Thanks for correcting me!

[@BigWillDogg82]

Yes acidic soil, plenty of granular fertilizer, and watering enough, but not too much is the key. Also, even when growing plants from bare roots or starts, they don’t really come to life fully until the following year. Before calling it quits on your strawberries give it another year and you’ll likely see better results.

[@ginarivers3779]

I meant acidic not alkaline!!! Sorry and thanks for the correction!

[@ginarivers3779]

@@BigWillDogg82 oooook☺️now I feel guilty about quitting on them! Thanks for the encouragement. I guess since I have all the acidic additive I might as well give next year a try.

[@AlSween]

I've been enjoying my Everbearing Strawberries. I should plant at least 1 Junebearing variety so that I won't have berries in spurts. I also bought a few white strawberries and started them late in the season. Boy oh boy!! They grow a lot of runners. It makes up for the 5 I killed at the beginning lol

[@jrose353]

Strawberries, tasty weeds. I’m so thankful this house came with an amazing bed of strawberries. I always encourage family to come take plants.

[@debbiemusgrove676]

Thank you again for info on getting rid of fungus and pests.

[@PinkamingoHaven]

I bought bare root from MIgardener this year and they are looking great!

[@MsSunstoned]

Thanks for the video & the education.

[@rebeccalpjohnson5497]

thank you for your helpful content...i am grateful for MI specific advice. consider that the japanese beetle traps attract beetles from far away, and you will end up with a high population of beetles the following year in the location you had the trap as many of them will miss the trap and reproduce in the soil underneath maybe recruit some praying mantis instead?

[@thebestSteven]

You guys make it seem so easy. I got two plants to put into a stacked planter and I have had just about every disease and pest imaginable and not one runner. All sorts of stuff on the leaves, bugs eating the leaves from the inside out, and some bugs eating them from the outside in, then some eating the just below the node connecting the leaves so that I walk outside and my flowers and leaves will be sitting on the ground having had something bite straight through the stem. I was hoping to turn two into 6 but not one runner. I think I've finally got enough growing that I can separate one of my plants into two but I'm afraid they'll be too weak to survive.

[@ScotWalt858]

Good info. Thanks for sharing. I hope you will revisit the beds before winter and show us how to protect the plants for winter! Thanks!!

[@dianebrockman4779]

Well this is just erie! I was gifted a huge strawberry plant & it's putting off runners. I came here to learn how to propogate them & your video popped up!!!! Goosebumps! Thanks I learned a lot from this one. BTW, I was just 'thinking' about doing this & it's not like I even said anything about it. No my computer, phone or TV did not hear me say anything (like I usually get pop up ads from). !

[@drozcompany4132]

Yeah that happens to me all the time, just thinking of something pops up a video. Anyway, good luck with the strawberries!

[@lindakemer4950]

My original plant bore fruit in June, but now I see blossoms from the runners that were generated from the mother plant. Totally surprised!😮 Love your tutorials! ❤

[@Thrivingplantz]

Your strawberry plants are probably everbearing ones. They produce in late spring and then again in late summer to early fall.

[@dianahall6500]

Thank you! This is my first year with strawberries at this time of the year so I'm really hoping to not kill them off! So far they look amazing but I'm sure these tips will help me keep them around

[@SharkLaserz]

What can I do to make sure they survive over winter? Especially in a raised bed where the soil temps are likely to get well below ground temp. Also this inspired me to clean out my front-most raised bed and make it 100% strawberries, because I just love strawbs that much

[@Pp7450-n5u]

If you don’t propagate, should you go ahead and remove them to make the mother plant stronger?

[@Thrivingplantz]

The daughter plants are actually the ones the produce sweet strawberries. Strawberries from the mother plants tend to be bitter. Once the daughter plants form roots, I cut the runner to allow the mother plants to grow more daughters.

[@debbiehughes1358]

Hey Luke, how do you add more compost to the garden bed when they are filled out like that?I need to add more compost to my round raised bed but Im afraid that I may smother them.

[@GardenGirl-uu9ny]

I have the same question!!

[@PLD244]

This is the kind of video that I needed to take care of my strawberries this year. Also, this is my first year growing a garden and I used Trifecta on all of my plants and my garden was incredible. I grew my first broccoli, cauliflower and onions. I totally recommend this product. I do believe it was a gamechanger for me. Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge.

[@stephaniegee227]

We've had a difficult gardening year so far, and a lot of our plants were super stressed due to weather and pests. We wound up trying the Revive Rx product and - wow! It doesn't fix everything, of course, but it seriously has helped improve the health and production of our plants.

[@diannplatt-roberts8692]

Thanks for the info. I’m going to check the strawberry plants tomorrow.

[@midsouthhomestead7527]

Thanks

[@DanielleBlanchardArts]

I enjoyed the gazillion runners from my 30 ft row in raised bricks. month of July in red solo cups under a shade tree and we just planted. Today, I clipped more and direct planted. I have a third ever eating and 2 thirds June bearing. First year I ever got enough to make smoothies, and next year should do 4 Ziploc gallon bags in my freezer. We're placing ag screen fabric over them to discourage birds and critters. Still deal with other big nibbles, but I rinse well and freeze anyway.

[@lisaautry4944]

Perfect timing!! I am growing my first strawberries and it was on my to do list to figure out how to propagate all these runners babies.

[@georgiabrasher7636]

I love this video. Thanks for the info!

[@diannemiller4754]

My strawberry starts I got from you in the Spring are ready to be prepared for the winter. I did notice some spots on them i will be treating them per your instructions. Such a timely video, thanks Luke.😊

[@karinwickenhauser1418]

Question: I was told that strawberries wouldn’t survive the winter in a raised bed. I’m in MN and wondering what I can do to help get them through the winter in a raised bed??

[@gailstritzel9066]

What about red leaves on the strawberries? Do I take them off like spotted leaves?

[@mdhosner]

I have same problem. 😢

[@hollynelson543]

Hi Luke, yes never know what to do all winter? Yes need your help❤

[@SharkSandwich451]

Pheromone traps are very effective. Saved my dahlias every year. That and sticking onions in with them as companion plants.

[@jiala1979]

LUKE- QUESTION - With the new plants how do you store them for the winter? Do you fertilize those in September as well?

[@ronnhamblin6501]

Last year I set out 4 everbearing strawberry plants, which somehow survived the drought, and these put out a few runners. This year they went crazy with runners but hardly any berries. I've potted up a dozen or so runners to transplant but have no idea why there were so few blooms or berries--must be doing something wrong.

[@brooklinkayce7828]

Thank you!! 1 thing, tho... my strawberries have multiplied crowns as well as trying to send off babies. Can you address this? I bought WAY too many strawberries (as I see now... 🙄) I've heard that the crowns need to be split up & the "mother" thrown away after a period of time?? I went from 1 crown to 3-6 crowns PER PLANT! Plus the runners I've been cutting off! Holy moly....

[@joanneb3524]

How about advice for everbearing?

[@HighlyCaffeinatedWeather]

This was a very timely video. I think the humidity hit my plants extremely hard this past week in SW Michigan. I had to trim so much back. Next time I will use your solution spray instead for sure!

[@nancyfitch9162]

How often do you repeat the baking soda spray? Thanks

[@Daughter_of_the_MostHigh]

Pill bugs and Pincher bugs are the ones I have here

[@pattigsbh4392]

❤YAY FOR MORE STRAWBERRIES 🍓

[@star222333]

Thanks for the helpful information! I love watching your videos, I'm always learning something new.

[@larzavala2447]

Love the video. What do i do with the propagated pups? Plant them in a new bed or overwinter them in the house and plant in spring? Sorry, im very new at this.

[@DrJohnBNase]

Ya. Great. Propagation! But what do you do with those potted shoots to get them through the winter?

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

I now have too many plants, lol! 3 years ago a friend gave me 25 ever bearing plants. This year my before weren't very good though. They got brown spots as they were getting ripe.😢

[@GoingGreenMom]

I am giving away strawberry patches. Lol. Throw some dirt and pups or plants that were in the way in a low cardboard box and hand off to someone wanting strawberries. They can just mow or cut stuff low and set the box in place. It will sheet mulch in place and they make great groundcover to help with weeds in landscaping.

[@chabelameneses4661]

What are your thoughts on growing strawberries as a cover crop? Would starting with live plants be better vs seeds, would it be better to start in the spring vs fall, and would certain varieties be better than others? We would also be growing for the fruit not just for cover. We live in Georgia on the border of zone 8a/b.

[@ravenstone3683]

Great tips, how can one tell when one over winters vs a dead strawberry plant?

[@heidiwheeler9917]

I love your berry videos! I'd still love some advice on how to grow the biggest plumpest berries the berry variety is capable of. I dont understand why my berries are always so small, and often mold before they can even be harvested. Any help you can provide?

[@abbynormal371]

Use plant fruit supporting grates to keep the berries off of the ground

[@RS-we7lx]

Thank you!

[@GreenThumbGardener65]

Luke! Thanks! I can’t wait to try this!❤

[@janetwestrup411]

I didn’t know cutting off those runners was healthy for the mother plant. How long do str Bryan plants live if cared for like this? I usually just cut off and discard those runners now because all my neighbors and church friends all have strawberry plants that I gave them yrs ago. And they’ve given some of theirs away. I tried to container my brs and have moved my plants out of my in ground garden to raised beds in my orchard. What do you feed strawberry plant and how often do you feed them? Do they require any frost protection?

[@user-fy7cp9yw7y]

Great information. Thanks for sharing the video.

[@donnayoung5942]

WONDERFUL tips!! Thanks

[@glomontero6011]

I planted my 12 strawberries plants in stackable 3way planters 5” deep in the spring at first they looked good growing and giving fruit. However now they don’t look so good. Many of the lives r turning orange and I don’t have any runners. Can I / should I moved them from those 5” deep planters into a one of my planting beds?

[@michaelgrant6003]

My strawberry plants look thick, healthy and green just like yours, Luke. The surface of the bed is covered with a thick layer of dried dead strawberry leaves. Should I remove this cover of dead leaves or just let it stay in place?

[@MIgardener]

Just let it mulch the soil and feed the plants as it breaks down.

[@AwakenedOne447]

Thank you! 🥰😉👍🏼

[@gottalisten34]

Can the baby plants go right into the soil or they need to establish roots in a small pot first?

[@melodywright2276]

Thank you Luke

[@barbdank]

Should I try to thin out my strawberry box because it is packed like yours?

[@lornamcallister4475]

What about red leaves?

[@ginarivers3779]

The red leaves on my plants have all been runners. Depending on how you decide to continue growing your berries you can manage them. I will not be growing them next year so I cut mine when I see them to preserve plant energy.

[@user-yq4rv9ox1s]

If anybody knows the answer pls help me out!! Thank you!! I bought my strawberries from you last yr. They are doing great!! I moved them from a raised bed to a green stalk!! I live in Kentucky zone 6b. Do I cover them with a freezing bag during the Winter? What should I do?

[@Berdie-if4yb]

Very helpful! Thank you

[@DawnaRo]

My strawberry plants are full and beautiful and sending out runners. BUT...I never got so much as one strawberry off of them. And hardly any flowers. My other bed has given me strawberries tho. They are 2 different kinds. What am I doing wrong?

[@brandyjaques6865]

I have the same problem, not 1 flower, but tons of runners! I’ve been cutting the runners off, to try to force flower bud growth, it that hasn’t helped either. Help @MIGardener

[@khakiaraki]

I had great harvest last year and no bugs. This year almost every berry is small and has bites in it. It’s not birds because I have a cover. It’s got to be bugs but I can’t figure out which one and how to deal with it. Any ideas? Should I rotate all the plants to a new bed at the end of summer/beginning of next spring?

[@suzannehaag4899]

Thank you:)!

[@KellieDTravis]

I have ever bearing strawberries. Do you use the same fertilize schedule for those also?

[@anneyday3493]

I wish you could make a video addressing a problem I've been having and maybe others have too. Keeping strawberries dormant long enough to survive. We've had warm weather followed by frost, followed by warm weather, followed by frost in the last few years. My strawberries came out of dormancy and crawled out from under their straw blanket a couple of times and finally died. I could not keep them in dormancy. Any hints? I bought some from MI gardner and filled in, but missed having berries this year. Now I have healthy plants, and worry about the next round of crazy weather.

[@GoingGreenMom]

Can they get sun in the straw? That has been our weather pattern here in northern Indiana the last couple years too, and I tried mulching with leaves and stuff at first on a new bed I put in.... in February actually, but the biggest issue I had was they weren't getting light to feed the plant when it was warm and essentially the ones that were completely covered were cooking. Normally we can't even work the ground that early, but we had a really warm false spring this year. My berry plants only typically die if they are on concrete with no soil so they are completely exposed, or they don't get light to grow. On warm spells they will shoot up a couple leaves, then the ones up away from the ground die back and cover the ones closer to the ground from frost.

[@ruthgossett7281]

This is a great video! So informative!! I do have a question about wintering the strawberry plants when they are in a vertical planter. This is the first year I've had strawberries and now I wish I would put in beds instead of the vertical planter but can you tell me what steps I might take to not lose them? Our property is in zone 6b if that helps. I could move the planter tower inside a shed (no heat) if that would be beneficial. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[@crenshawgrinder4725]

Great explanation and presentation.

[@MIgardener]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@belieftransformation]

Great tips; thanks for sharing! 🤗🇨🇦

[@ronaldvinsantii2375]

Great vid

[@denisemusicnut]

Will you be offering strawberry plants for late summer/fall planting?

[@vickiejoyner4631]

I looked all around my area here in NC for June bearing strawberry plants. None for sale anywhere, all everbearing.

[@PunkR0ckz09]

I have a lot of red leaves, and they all (for the most part) seem to be very low to the ground. Is it normal? Also, I have a bunch of runners in 2ft x 4/5/6ft raised beds... should I remove some and plant them in my normal garden, or is it good to have a lot of runners? And, lastly, when and what should I do to keep them healthy and safe during the Canadian winters (Note; My plans are all 1 year old and my raised beds are made out of 2x4s with a liner of geotextile, that's it)

[@happyhealthdetective]

I want to grow strawberries for the first time. Should i start my plant now then? Or wait til spring?

[@rebeccastone9315]

When it gets cold should I cover the plants with straw? Then uncover in spring?

[@jacobstearns413]

Do you recommend mowing your strawberries to refresh them?

[@cynthiastandley5742]

My strawberry patch is new this year and I planted widely. I can add many more plants. Should I let the runners do there own thing or clip them and plant them. Obviously if I want a certain organization I might clip them, but what is healthier for the plants?

[@rebeccastone9315]

I love central Indiana

[@suereaume97]

Love your videos. Do you have to thin the strawberry plants? Mine have filled out so much. Not talking about the runners.

[@heyyou4023]

Did you renovate your June bearing strawberry beds? Is renovation always needed?

[@LogacysAquaticLove]

Can any help me please? We have a gifted strawberry plant in a hanging basket, live in 6 6bish. Will the plant winterize the same? Do we bring it inside? I’d appreciate the help thank you! 🫶🏻💯🤙🏼

[@wiseoleowl5154]

You mentioned in this video about a previous video of yours about strawberries. Where is the link?

[@Lbff1225]

How do you apply the diatomaceous earth? How close to the plants can it safely be?

[@kaypark3929]

I need help with my strawberries! I’ve been very successful at growing healthy foliage but zero fruit. What am I doing wrong? I gave them berry tone when I planted the roots and I water regularly according to their needs. Every suggestion you’ve posted I’ve followed- It’s so frustrating because this is a beginner crop lol I’ve had a plentiful garden for almost 5 years with exception of strawberries! What do you think is going on?

[@nataliec1363]

Can I use avocado or olive oil instead of vegetable oil to rid the fungus on the strawberry plant?

[@paulettek3682]

Yes, any type of oil.

[@brianlozen5620]

Any thoughts for getting rid of the pest bug “Rolly Polly”/Pillbugs? Got a lot of them and caught them feasting on my berries this year

[@JenniferZadell]

I grew like 60 runners this year, planted most of them but have like 10 left over, not sure where to put them any ideas on what to do with them before winter ?

[@JD-zb4ve]

Great video!!

[@MIgardener]

Thanks!