EVERYTHING I wish I Knew When I First Planted Strawberries

My strawberry garden wasn't always abundant. In fact, I made a lot of mistakes. In my first strawberry patch, I made so many that I decided to do a whole video outlining all the mistakes I made.
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[@mitchellgrell5716]

Dear Luke, in Germany we grow strawberries in a sightly different way. We usually take good growing runners from the existing patch, and once early potatoes are harvested ( or other early crops), we use this ground as the new patch. We plant the young strawberry plants from mid July until mid October - for the best root development the earlier the better! We water and fertilize them during the late summer and autumn months. In late May and June we have great harvests with large strawberries. If you let these plants stay for a second year, you have more berries the second year, but they tend to be a bit smaller. We usually take the old strawberry plants after the second year, because they generally are already exhausted. We also mulch (most often with straw), for the reasons you mentioned. Thanks for the video. I learned some new tips as well!

[@judybutler5129]

A great idea! Wish I had a yard instead of a balcony so I could try this technique!

[@danieljohnstone9102]

@@judybutler5129Why can't you do this in pots?

[@judybutler5129]

@@danieljohnstone9102 Hi there! Both the Petunias and the cherry tomatoes 'will' be in pots. The tomatoes are indeterminate therefore they wil keep climbing and will need to be tied to the balcony railing posts to keep them off the balcony floor. The Petunias will be in special pots that sit on the railings. I hope I explained things ok. Thanks for your query. Cheers! Judy

[@Earthy-Artist]

@@judybutler5129 There is something called a 'Greenstalk' garden tower I've seen another gardener on KZbin growing lots of strawberry plants in one of these. It has a very small foot print because it stands vertically. I would imagine it could be useful on your balcony. I want to buy one for herbs. {fyi I'm not affiliated with the company}.

[@suzetteblair8419]

I have a green stalk and have planted my strawberries 🍓 in as well. I planted in one and left the next one down empty of plants so my runners could take root there. My first time planting in a greenstalk so I hope it works. My plants are from MI Gardner and they look soooo good!

[@jeannamcgregor9967]

I wish I had known that every critter in my garden (especially the raccoons) will steal ripe strawberries the night before I planned to pick them. I can't just have an open bed: they need to be contained in a sturdy strawberry prison. The best are made of hardware cloth with jagged cut edges...netting just isn't enough.

[@jons5898]

I had to add another round of 2 by 6’s to the raised beds my strawberries are in to give them more growing room and staple chicken wire to the top to keep all the critters out. After 4 years it is definitely working.

[@redmoondesignbeth9119]

I have the same problem. 🤨

[@heathertaylor-willockx3632]

Absolute truth

[@fordtelly6573]

A tip I picked up from another youtuber (mossy bottom) who has a slug/snail problem, was to harvest at the first blush of red on the strawberries, so harvest them really early. Put in a cardboard box in a cool dark room and they carry on slowly ripening, Its worth you giving that a try. I did so last year and it was great because I could keep checking the box each day to select the ones that were at the correct ripeness.

[@dalegaa4094]

@@KB-2222 Chipmunks are strawberry lovers too. Last year I had to take out at least a dozen and 3 so far this year. They chew through all covers I've tried. The only thing I've found that works are rat traps.

[@fitzluna7264]

An old horticulturist taught me a trick: if birds are after your strawberries, spray paint a bunch of berry-sized rocks red, and scatter in your strawberry bed before the berries ripen. The birds will learn that the red does not equal food and leave the ripe berries alone.

[@Brittanysplittany]

He mentions this in the video!

[@freewillchoice8052]

Awesome idea! ❤

[@rogerlarsen5328]

Wishing/hoping that this will work with raccoons.

[@omnium_gatherum]

Curious if you watched the video, because this is one of the points he listed

[@nancyknilans9265]

I did this but it didn't work.

[@Handmaidenofyeshua]

Absolutely did not know strawberry plants from seeds do not produce well the first few years. Was pulling my hair out as to what I was doing wrong. Thank you, now I can throw away my wigs!!😂

[@shannonbrice8012]

I would plant strawberries and then nothing and thought ..... must have done something wrong, rip them out and try again the next year. Out of 7 plants last year only ONE survived our winter and I was so excited this year. EDIT: I fertilised, watered and put a little fence around my "strawberry plant". I was so excited but when it hit 18 inches tall, I realised something was wrong. It was a WEED. Hence back to I can't grow strawberries.

[@Earthy-Artist]

The same thing goes for asparagus. When grown from seed t's not supposed to be harvested during the first 3 years so the plants can gain strength. But it's worth the wait as are strawberries 🙂.

[@froggerssssss1]

Me too! I have an entire patch in my back yard that hasn’t produced anything but more plants lol!

[@sherriianiro747]

That is so funny!!! 😂

[@muji3298]

I heard that if you put the seeds in the fridge for 4-6 weeks before planting, it mimicks a dormant season and thus produces better berries from a 1st year growth

[@mostuniquemary]

Last year I did an experiment where I interplanted bush beans with new strawberries in one bed and no interplanting in another bed (no fertilizer, fresh compost garden soil). HUGE difference! For those that don't know, beans add nitrogen to the soil. The rocks work like a charm! Did that last year (just red, we didn't do the green and black)....gave me SOOOO many more strawberries! I've put them out and there's peck marks on them already. Grrr.

[@noelc2]

Yay! I just did this in my bed last week . 🎉❤

[@philidabill1147]

What kind of bush beans did you use?

[@mostuniquemary]

@@philidabill1147 blue lake bush beans

[@adriankap2978]

That is so smart to plant bush beans with strawberries!

[@StringofPearls55]

I planted bush beans with my pepper last year. Had a bumper crop of both!

[@wendymacneill6689]

Didn’t know that I should be planning on replacing my plants after 4 years and changing the bed. Your regrets are now my wisdom. Thanks!

[@Josef_R]

Bed turnover and crop rotation have been shown to not apply to home gardeners. Farmers need to do it because of the aggressive growing practices they use.

[@amandasupak]

Chapter select 1:05 Mistake 1 2:54 Mistake 2 5:25 Mistake 3 6:43 Mistake 4 9:31 Mistake 5 10:43 Mistake 6 BONUS! 6:14 Squirrel found by @Contest WIll

[@contestwill1556]

you forgot 6:14 squirrel

[@amandasupak]

@@contestwill1556 HAHAH I added it ;)

[@Issaaay260]

Thank you for the time stamps.

[@eugenetswong]

Thanks, Amanda!

[@davesterchele2679]

Thank you. Hopefully reset to top.

[@wenn9366]

I have a large raised bed of strawberries next to my house. On the open side are bricks and then a walkway and my yard. The biggest problem I have is slugs. I cover them with tulle fabric and weight it down with bricks as soon as they start turning. I was a little slow this year and lost a couple, but it really helps. Keeps birds away, too. I use dark green tulle so it isn't obvious from the road. It works much better than bird netting and is way cheaper. Works great for berry bushes, too.

[@tanasarahdesign3781]

Bird netting is evil. Not to the birds, but to me. I have gotten myself all tangled up and tripped on that stuff. Tule sounds like a much better idea, I will give it a try.

[@animequeen78]

@@tanasarahdesign3781 You can get tulle more easily too. Just look for the sewing section.

[@cbass2755]

Tulle is excellent. I used last year to keep squirrels our of my planters, raised beds and containers. It worked beautifully. The sin gets thru and those cabbage moths can’t get to them either

[@janking2762]

We use polyester row cover on pvc hoops. Birds don’t see the fruit and go elsewhere.

[@1Ggirl1959]

my Jack Russels keep all the birds away. LOL! They will hike their leg though! LOL!

[@jadeinthewoods]

Seascape strawberries are super tough and they spread like crazy! I bought about 20 bare root plants 3 years ago and now have three 10 ft beds filled with ever bearings plants. Every spring, I thin the beds out a bit by transferring about 10 to a new bed and those take off as well. I think I spent $30 on the original plants and now we get so many strawberries every year that we don’t know what to do with them all. Yes, they definitely need good compost to grow well. Good compost and lots of sun.

[@paulmoss7940]

Planted some 6mo. ago ,they are thriving and trying to spread.

[@dorothyv2863]

I actually have the seascape strawberries in MA, 1 plant 2 years ago & had it in a container. I want to plant it in the ground this year, but was afraid of it becoming invasive any advice?

[@gailharden2586]

The first lesson I learned, was don’t plant too deep; like the crown needs to be above the dirt level. I lost EVERY PLANT because I planted them too deep. So I repurchased and replanted. The second ones are doing great. I didn’t realize they need a good bit of fertilizer. I’ll do better on that too. I do keep them watered good, and have put a bird netting over them. Hope to have strawberries soon. Thanks for all the info. Love your videos. From Georgia!

[@gonzaga45377]

I buried my strawberry crowns too the first time I planted them. They all died.

[@michaelsorensen7567]

I left a few too high and they died over winter. I think like 3/16 plants lost. But the survivors are thriving and I've got some berries growing already this year. Hoping they send out some runners and I can fill in the holes

[@taylamorris]

Thank you for saying this, so I'll know. I'm in Georgia too.

[@loristricklin7627]

I have learned that growing bare root anything is to soak the plant in water to rehydrate the roots before planting. Do not soak overnight as this will lead to mushy roots and dead plants. Soak for a couple of hours prior to planting out. I use straw to mulch my beds (that is where the name "straw"berry came from). The straw not only helps with keeping the ground moist but also keeps the berries from coming into contact with the dirt and rotting. Just a few things I have learned through trial and error.

[@oneyaker]

You never have to do bed rotation. Strawberries will be happy in one bed for decades if you root the new suckers and retire the old plants. Spacing and fertilizing is vital as well as mulching.

[@yooptrooper]

Clip your runners for more and bigger berries, NITROGEN for early green growth, and POTASSIUM for bigger and better fruiting as soon as you get your first flush of flowers. I use 6-24-24, a typical potato fertilizer. Allow one runner per plant if you plan on regenerating your beds the next year.

[@eminemilly]

I thought eventually the runners replace the mother plants as the mothers get tired ? I'm zone 9. Was stopping most of the runners til I had a baby myself lol but now some took over and I think I'm supposed to try and take out the parent plants now? Just gardening for fun

[@yooptrooper]

@@eminemilly I let enough runners go the second year to re-establish the bed the next year, and dig the whole bed up that next spring, keeping the new runner plants. I then amend the soil with compost I make from grass clippings, hay, leaf mulch, veggie trimmings, etc. I add a few things like azomite, humic acid, blood meal, bone meal, etc. Some commercial strawberry farms will plant new every year, But I do it every 3 years. Just started a second bed like MI Gardener suggested to keep a more steady yearly supply. Zone 4a here.

[@CC-lv1ox]

@yoopertrooper what fertilizer brand has 24 P and 24 K?

[@yooptrooper]

@@CC-lv1ox I buy it from my local feed store. It's 6-24-24, specifically for potatoes. No "brand", it is packaged in white plastic 40 lb bags. I use it on my potates, and also use it for my strawberries, tomatoes to promote flowering, fruit set and size, and garlic as soon as I harvest the scapes to promote larger bulb size. Also, I save my egg shells, dry them in the oven, crush them, dissolve them in vinegar, which creates liquid calcium acetate. I mix a half cup per gallon of water and give my tomatoes a weekly sip during fruiting to prevent end rot on the tomatoes.

[@brokenbird361]

Decoy rocks, brilliant! Thank you for the tip

[@brandonhorwath6351]

I'm getting ready to sleep by my strawberry plants with a shotgun...

[@tinapayne2367]

😂

[@marchelita2474]

💀 😂

[@mattwolf1718]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@fundamentalreviews]

Meat and fruit. Good combo😂

[@Omegawerewolfx]

I let my patch take over the entire area. Then the birds and chipmunks brought seeds to all my neighbors. Now they have strawberries growing like weeds too :P I keep my Alpine berries to pots so i can move them away from heat in the summer.

[@jhjln8712]

I keep my strawberries in pots too, which are self-watering so the reservoir keeps them always moist. After they produce fruit in the spring, I move them into the shade or else our sun would burn them. This winter I made the mistake of not watering them enough though, and lost one of the planters full 😢

[@crazy8skml]

Was not aware that the first year they really don’t fruit. Now that I am older, I am hearing that about a lot of plants more and more. My great uncle had a 2 acre garden, I just always saw fruits and veggies. Was not aware that it took years to get that way.

[@juliedaly8953]

Same!! Always learning… I’m 62!😄

[@ziggybender9125]

Be careful what you learn, big industry literally invests money into misinforming you. Growing Avacado from seed is way more successful than what you'll read online, just don't start with a seed from a low quality Avacado and don't expect any results for a long time but nature will take that seed and produce avacados.

[@judybutler5129]

Thanks Luke! I always learn something new from you, no matter what you're planting. I grew 'ever bearing' berries from seed about 3 years ago, starting them off in an 2 X 3 X 4 ft indoor greenhouse. They started out really well. I had very good grow lights, a humidifier, fertilizer and a little fan. All the best conditions. However, these plants failed once I put them outside in pots that sit on my balcony railing. They all died. They were well watered and fertilized but I think the problem was insufficient lighting. Both my balcony and bedroom window face Northern exposure. So, the most direct sunlight was only from sunrise to noon hour. Then, only indirect lighting the rest of each day. I got the plants as far as flowering with a teeny-weeny strawberry in each flower but that was as far as I got so I was at least proud of myself for that. Last year I was in hospital for a year, so I never had a chance to grow anything. But this year, I'm growing some 'Double Petunias' and cherry (indeterminate) tomatoes and will supplement the lighting with grow lights outside. I will try to buy some strawberry seedlings, too, and see what happens. Also going to try a few 'Baby Beets' (for pickling). Wish me luck, Luke! Have a Great growing season! Cheers! Judy Southwestern Ontario 🇨🇦

[@allysonpfortmiller4884]

A question I can never seem to get answered is - do you let the plant runners fill up the beds? If you turnover a bed every four years, aren’t you also turning over some plants that are only two years old and still producing? Why not just pull out the old plants and keep the newer ones? too hard to keep track? I have so many questions!

[@stanleydoctor7947]

For folks planting in rows not beds, they will direct the runners to one side of the mother plant and keep moving them across the garden that way. Kind of like an inch worm/leap frog effect. It is very hard to keep track of the age of runners after 3 or 4 years since the runners will also produce runners after they are established.

[@KaspiansTravels]

I grow lots of strawberries in beds--you generally want to cut the runners during the grow season, so the plants focus on producing fruit. As summer peters out, begin to let the runners go and they'll establish the new ones. I disagree with rotating strawberries. If you ever find a wild strawberry patch, chances are that patch will still be there and healthy in 20 years. (Nature doesn't crop rotate.) In the fall, weed whack the tall ones down and let the mulched leaves fall around the plants. They will feed the old ones and the new ones. Mulch heavily over with leaves/straw/whatever as winter sets in.

[@hardstylzz5024]

Just use 8 oz solo cup for runners great way to transfer them new bed, after summer season discard the old bed put the new ones in the same location or keep the old and expand in a new location.

[@dedemaddox]

@@KaspiansTravels Exactly. At my grandparent's farm, they had a huge strawberry patch and it never moved. We had the best strawberries I've ever had every single year.

[@bonnieballew7762]

For the first year don’t let the strawberries have runners. After that it’s ok to let them have them. My mom doesn’t till them she just lets them go only watering and harvesting. Removing the dead leaves and plants.

[@valkyrise1148]

Took me a few years to figure out strawberries! My biggest tip is to remove runners... it seems you are sort of forced to choose between berry production OR new plants. Such a huge difference. Happy growing!

[@denisekelley2292]

I cut out the runners the first 3 years, the fourth year I pin enough of them into little pots (cut the runner when they root in) and use these babies to replace the bed the next year without having to buy new strawberries.

[@eminemilly]

​@@denisekelley2292 thank you was looking for this info. Mine are crowded so ill take out the mothers

[@miasmom1230]

Zone 5a here. The Everbearing variety really does well here.

[@gloryb5513]

Thanks for that info!

[@batzzz2044]

I used wild strawberries. Went nuts and turned 10 plants into about 50. Soooooo excited for those buds to open.....they might tonight!

[@elizabethfindlay5752]

Similarly, I've had Strawberries for 8 yrs and still learning! It's awesome!

[@auntlouise]

I just planted my first small strawberry patch this year. Whenever I see flowers on the plants I pinch them off, because I want them to root out instead of making berries this first year. I also planted bush beans on the North side of the strawberry patch, hopefully to share some nitrogen with my strawberries. I will plant a different patch next year, so I will have strawberries every year! The more the better!

[@sixfigurebookkeeper7588]

Luke, I’m so happy to see another video about strawberries!!! I love strawberries and I watched some of your other videos about strawberries, I tried to implement (what I understood) your recommendations and I haven’t had much success so clearly I missed something. There cannot be enough instructions/insights re: growing strawberries successfully in my opinion. Thank you!

[@oldbear6813]

5 years I've had my strawberry bed and it's really taken off over the past 3 years but I have never fertilized it, not once 🤣 I had a bit of trifecta left so after watching this I emptied the bag in the bed, thankfully I have more on order already 👍

[@meady50]

the squirrel at 6:15 had me dead😂

[@alivewithhemp4989]

😂I had to watch it twice to catch the squirrel. 😂

[@dougandcandacebishop7259]

Luke, thanks so much for these tips! I'm a wanna-be gardener with a brown thumb and limited budget, time and energy. I tried (and failed miserably!) to grow strawberries one year and figured, "well THAT was a bust!" With these tips I may actually try them again! 😊

[@mojoeshaw]

I liked the squirrel running across at 6:04. That was a nice added background fence!

[@gardenlifelove9815]

I grow many varieties of strawberries, I have never removed them from their spot, but I feed the ground organically and i use nature to keep things going, I dont use salts of store bought fertilizers. I've never had a maturation problem either, especially if you cultivate the suckers, you should always have more fruiting plants than dying ones or you are doing something wrong. Farmers started letting fields go fallow because they didn't know how to fix the problem.. it's nature, let nature be nature and interplant things for diversity of nutrient uptake and reintroduction too.. I like the video though and I believe many people should follow this technique if they don't know other ways or can't keep the land happy

[@djcbanks]

Man, I’ve had a patch that I started from a plant that I had in a pot for like 4/5 years that I dumped out the pot next to my patio because I needed a pot to grow something else and the patch has grown to about a 8’ x 10’ patch and has been there for about 14 years and still going with no signs of struggling or malnutrition. I don’t fertilize or water except maybe a little squirt here and there when I’m rolling up my hose and turn the water off but I would hardly call it watering them. I get tons of strawberries every year and throughout the year from spring to summer to fall, more during spring and fall. It’s one of my favorite things that I come out and pick and eat some strawberries everyday before I go to tend to my other plants. Nice little snack that taste sooo good. I also feed some to my eastern box turtle. He loves them too. Luckily no raccoons attack them but I do get some small slugs and birds that eat some but they only seem to go after the ones on the outer edge of the patch. So I just let them stay there even if they rot and it seems to work keeping them from every attacking the berries in the middle of the patch. I also have sage, garlic and onion chives and romaine lettuce growing randomly in between the strawberries too. I love gardens that just produce with little to no input from me. I have quite a bit of things like that growing around my house. Free food grown at home is great.

[@gregwoollacott2618]

Love the video and tips. As we live in black bear country in central BC, I ended up installing electric fencing. In addition, to keep the squirrels out of the raised bed strawberry patch, I installed 1/4" x 1/4" galvanized wire mesh over the arched plastic piping that spans the 4' x 12' raised bed. The plastic mesh meant to keep squirrels and other pests out didn't work. I grow the ever bearing Seascape variety and mulch with straw, which helps to keep the roots moist and provides a substrate for the berries to sit on. Spacing is critical as is plenty of water and a good berry fertilizer and seasoned mushroom and steer manure.

[@lulabelle4760]

Come October/November we get wind storms. I collect the evergreen branches and use them for winter mulch for the strawberries, blueberries, hydrangeas and anything newly planted in the fall. Works great! Very informative video!

[@TwoEnglishAcres]

Hey Luke! Thank you for my black potted plant 😊 It made my day visiting your garden 😁

[@diannevaldez8670]

As always an awesome video Luke!!! You are never stingy with all the information!!! I appreciate you and your family so much!

[@chriswillock2177]

Wooo hooo got it made. I've got chickens for manure. LOTS of chickens. 4 flocks of 8 each. I've a mountain of manure just in the clean out pile. Shavings and manure aged. Excellent stuff. And goat manure. Herd of 10. Manure and straw. One horse to add some horse manure.

[@Wealthy369]

I am at Bay Area and that my debut with growing strawberries, i thought all I need to put them at soil and wait for berries. Surprisingly I spent lots of time, fighting puntcherbugs, worry about my first little flowers turning dark inside and watching endless videos how to make my strawberries happy and healthy. Wish you guys a great harvest regardless the crazy weather we having at California now

[@sevenn7pure]

I am currently trying 2 strawberry plants hydroponiclly (individual buckets). So far so good from what I can see. Runners are starting on both.

[@gmpgmp5488]

Thank you! Strawberries are so precious and your experience is greatly appreciated😊

[@tylerschulte6834]

This is exactly why I grow wild strawberries the first year I planted 3 plants and they took over the whole bed now I get unlimited mini flavorful strawberries

[@lauriemclean1131]

I so prefer the flavor of the wild strawberries.

[@1Ggirl1959]

Yep, those Alpine strawberries are very small but extremely tasty. I have been thinking about planting some again as ground cover, And for tasty treats. The flavor just explodes in your mouth!

[@momc1134]

@@lauriemclean1131 yes absolutely nothing beats a wild strawberry!

[@Dreamzz101]

I love my wild strawberry .. so much more flavor in them . and yes never run out or stop producing..

[@eminemilly]

I have sequoia and the flavor isn't doing it for me most the time haha. I remember eating wild ones as a kid hmm

[@Bigfoottehchipmunk]

I would definitely recommend the mulch, not just for moisture, but also to keep weeds down. I ended up tearing out a bed of berries, because it ended up with so much poison ivy in it. Now I have berries growing just around the edge of a bed and am considering the rain trough idea for the top of my chicken fence.

[@jenniferlroberts5994]

I bought strawberry plugs, not bare-root, from Ison's Nursery. They shipped them at planting time, in zone 8a, in October, 2022. I had my bed ready for their arrival. The area already had pretty good soil. I added some organic material and dry donkey dung, tilling it in well. I then followed Ison's planting instructions, paying attention not to plant the crowns too deep. Lifted up a prayer. This spring and summer, 50 out of 50 have lived and have bore very heavy. Now they are putting out runners from which I plan to expand my strawberry patch, Lord willing.

[@realfoodgoodfood]

Do you remember which variety you bought?

[@jenniferlroberts5994]

Yes, "Chandler." Since then, I have made a second patch. They were doing very well, but I'm having to fight with deer for them. My first patch is just amazing.@@realfoodgoodfood

[@GardeningwithDave]

Perfect timing! Thank you for sharing this video with the world. Love from California!

[@ModernResilience]

Luke I gotta say, I bought all my seeds from you this year, and it's going very well! This is my first time ever gardening, and it's been awesome. Thanks for all that you do and for educating us on how to grow a successful garden. Cheers!

[@MayraHF]

Just catching up with you Luke. THANK YOU for this video. I'm not laying down a bed but growing my strawberries in a container. Was a beginner in 2021 and had to take 2022 off because of having to take care of my elderly mother-in-law. I'm back to gardening but on a smaller scale now because I also help my sister care for my mother, but I need this distraction. I needed a refresher course. THANK YOU!!!! Let's see how I do this year in Zone 10a.

[@OurFrenchChateau]

Great advice. I can't mulch my strawberry bed because of all the slugs here (Northern France) They hide beneath and eat them. Strawberries grow like weeds here, it's excellent...

[@backyardrebel2149]

Can you get ducks? My Muscovies love to eat slugs and snails. They're wiping them out. lol.Though I haven't tested them around berries yet. Not sure if the ducks would eat all the fruit, too...

[@jeffdunnell6693]

Nothing like a bowl of beer to get those slugs

[@bakershire]

Thank you so much for sharing your mistakes so we we can learn! I need to replace my original strawberry patch this fall and replace with fresh! Sharing this video with friends as well! ❤

[@sandivernay6569]

Thanks Luke! I wasn't aware of the strawberry "rotation". Just in time tip❤ blessings

[@melanieadams5450]

Thanks so much for this video! I've been growing strawberries in the same bed for roughly 8 years, but a few years ago I added more plants of a different variety to the same bed and voila! We have been reaping the rewards ever since. I have wanted to abandon this bed and move the strawberries to another location. I'm in a much better position to produce strawberries in a new bed after learning from your tips!

[@juliewhite6887]

Thanks for the great strawberry information! I planted some for the first time this year and needed to hear these tips!

[@mommadramapreps8668]

There definitely a learning curve with growing strawberries!! 🍓🍓

[@rebeccabentley5623]

I'll be mulching mine this year. Happy growing everyone

[@KingStix]

fantastic info, thanks

I loved the tips about fertilizer, bed turnover, and mulch. This year, I'm trying them in cinderblocks!

[@sinkintostillness]

I trained my runners outside the beds last year and once taken I pulled the old ones out of the beds. This year I have x3 new beds for other crops and my strawberries are around all my raised beds in my path. We'll have to see how it goes, but I'm excited for extra growing space!

[@addysbeeandgarden320]

Just wanted to say thank you for all of the extras that were sent with my order. I appreciate it!

[@anikac8380]

The painted rock decoy was new to me. I didn’t hear you say it, but the primary reason strawberries need mulch is that they are so shallow-rooted they suffer immediately from dry periods. Keep doing what you do.

[@valtoton2982]

I'm currently awaiting my bare roots strawberry order from you! Thanks for the video... Just in time!

[@galinarou]

I love the painting rocks idea, great craft activity to do with the family too!

[@chrismcpherson1204]

I have everbareing strawberries and i planted 50 plants I have had them 10yrs and yes they multiplied and I have a abundance of strawberries every yr. I never had a backup bed and I never heard of what you are saying,

[@infin1ty850]

It's ridiculous how late "spring" actually set in. Even down here in SC, I didn't feel comfortable planting my tomatoes or cucumbers until just a few weeks ago.

[@KB-2222]

Geoengineering at its finest to screw over our fruit trees.

[@eveneeee]

Still some weeks until I set out my tomato plants, here in south Norway😝

[@lightwavz]

And yet I lost my garlic during a crazy heatwave up to nearly 80° in January 😢 I just want some kind of "normal" 😂

[@anneg8319]

In SC too. My peach trees blossomed during that heat wave and then the blossoms were lost with the next cold snap. So sad. I now wait until nighttime temps average 60° for tomatoes but I start them inside very early...like feb1... and pot up. End up planting 1 gallon size. Thus I get nice harvest before the flower drop heat/humidity stops all production for the year since, for me, it really ends up being a fairly shirt growing season.

[@infin1ty850]

@@anneg8319 I'm going to order some pear trees because of the weather change and see if they are able to survive and fruit at this point. I'm in the Upstate, so with the weather changes I think I may actually be able to successfully grown them.

[@sherriianiro747]

I had alpine strawberries growing within ground cover under trees and every time all the kids would have their little plastic buckets to pick them the robins would watch their every move! They literally waited until the filled buckets were placed on the picnic table while the kids were away picking and would swoop down and help themselves, so we always saved some for them too! So cute! May I add the alpines are an excellent deterrent to keeping the wildlife from eating strawberries in beds!😊

[@pattyjaynes3237]

I didn't know I should change out my plants! They've been just having runners and self perpetuating for years and years. Biggest takeaway, though, is the mulch. Thanks for the info!

[@katiem9644]

This was really really good! Great tips, easy to follow, and things I just didnt realize. I have a pot full of plants that I now know what to do with them. Great video!!

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I have 4 large pots of strawberries. This spring I fertilized them with something specific for berries (I also have blueberries). It really made a big difference! I mulch with chopped straw that I use in my feral cat shelters.

[@ConcealedKari]

Thank you!! I was getting ready to plant out the bare roots bought from your store and now, I will take some extra steps to make sure I do it right.

[@iamnotguilty]

The video I needed to see. Starting strawberries this spring and doing my homework now. Thanks!

[@valariehorsman503]

Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I appreciate your help!

[@aliqod4086]

I was looking at overwintering strawberries, and came across your channel. I am so happy to have finally found a gardening channel from right here in Michigan! I'm a little north of you, based on the 810 area code on your website, but just mid-Michigan, so close.

[@SilvrMoon77]

Great timing! I'm growing strawberries for the first time this year.

[@kirklarson116]

I planted bare root strawberries last season. June bearing and ever bearing in the same bed. They didn't do well last year but they came back and are doing great now. When I see runners heading out of the low raised bed I stick them back into the garden. I used TS pine chips for mulch this year and they're doing great.

[@Big88Country]

Appreciate the info! Just planted strawberries for the first time this weekend. They were the potted plants not the bare root plants. We only planted 6 but all different varieties to see which does better here in Coastal NC.

[@brittanyfry3103]

Sooo helpful Luke! Thank you for helping us learn from your mistakes.

[@kirrileepearson9981]

I planted an apple tree guild and surrounded with strawberries interplanted with various herbs like garlic chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, marigolds and nasturtium...soil prepared with lots of compost and thick sugarcane mulch. Got lots of strawberries the first year of one variety, not so much from the other. I didn't realize strawberries tap out at around 4 years so thanks... but they are also producing plenty of runners and the bed more or less takes care of itself given the permeaculture style of planting. Adding 2 more fruit tree guilds now with the same setup.

[@bettermetalsnake95]

Over the course of two or three years I sowed multiple breeds of strawberry plants into a kiddie pool filled with soil and now with the amount of runners it sends off every year it completely self maintains and I don't even have to plant any more. For the most part I will simply move the runners into the empty spaces I'd like them to fill in but I even have a few runaways that escaped the pool and I've just let those go too since more strawberries is never a bad thing.

[@lindaspellman2108]

This is what I do... My everbearing strawberries make so many runners I can replace older plants and still give some away! The first year in a new bed (after moving) they at least doubled the number of plants. They live under a mature shade tree so they get protected from scorching midday sun, while they in turn protect the soil for the tree. I'm sure I sacrifice a few berries to the cause of creating runners, but those runners then make berries so it all evens out!

[@eminemilly]

​@@lindaspellman2108 I've always had an issue with thinning/pruning/pulling out older plants lol

[@lindaspellman2108]

@@eminemilly I never have... They'll produce or they'll get sickly and die 🤷

[@jaytoney3007]

I live in central Alabama, so Seascapes are the choice for me. They went into my GreenStalk Tower February 28, and immediatly sprouted with new growth. Now, I am getting strawberies daily. They are an everbearing variety.

[@lesliejacobs3002]

I planted Seascape….also in Wyoming zone 4-5

[@danchaffee6790]

Great video on strawberries! Just a couple of questions for you. First, do you use the core gardening method in your strawberry beds for moisture retention? Second, how often do you water your strawberry plants and do you use drip irrigation? Thank you.

[@funlarry4145]

Thankyou, we are going to try this soon. I just tilled the family garden last weekend.

[@heidiwheeler9917]

I've been waiting a year for a video like this from you! Thank you so much. I appreciate having this info right at the beginning of the season, when my new plants from you just arrived 😁

[@LittleHomesteadOnHinerPond]

Glad I watched. I just planted June bearing in some little raised beds and ever-bearing in Greenstalks, here in MN. Hmmm, I’ll give them some trifecta today. What’s an example of shaved pine mulch? I bought a big bag of pine bedding from Fleet Farm but it seems kind of coarse.

[@peterson7740]

Been watching your channel for years. I really appreciate all the info. Living in northeast Ohio I find a lot of your videos relevant for my climate! ❤

[@bieckerchick]

I've only had strawberries in stackable garden containers but want them in beds. Thank you for the information! I now feel confident starting them:)

[@bigbrian824]

Perfect Timing, just about to plant strawberries!

[@catherinewehle9663]

I am starting a strawberry bed and found this was very useful. Thanks for the tips. I am also going to make a cover for the bed using PVC pipe as the frame and then netting to keep out birds, rabbits etc

[@patriciaserdahl5577]

Thanks Luke I had no clue planted my strawberries all wrong from 2 years ago will definitely do your methods

[@LukasWishork]

What is the best strawberry fertilizer?

[@LivinDeadGirl420]

Oooo that mulching idea is so good thank you luke!

[@jenniferhoy7544]

Love this! Just received some dormant plants and going to plant mine.

[@sheliadean9548]

Thank you for sharing this information with us

[@katherinecornette5315]

All great tips! Thank you 🍓

[@meemkaplan4315]

I love the decoy rocks!!!!!

[@dawnpetitt8162]

So helpful!! 2023 is my first year trying to grow strawberries.

[@jeas4980]

I've found the best way for us to grow straewberries is in towers. I've used greenstalks and similar items. I've driven a t-post through strawbales that I've allowed to rot and soak up fertilizer. I've even layered staw nests with soil in each nest pocket inside of a circle of 4x4 fencing (think large tomato cage) then planted a crown in every other square "pocket", letting the plants grow out the side. Then you just take a broken umbrella over the top and drape a much smaller and manageable section of bird netting (or chicken wire if you have skunks or rats). They can take the shade. You have much better control over water and fertility. Zero issues with berry rot because the berries dangle off the sides. Super easy to snack and harvest. And you can typically train any runners to a neighboring pocket and let them set roots... then I move the new plants into a large gutter that I have affixed to the top rail of my net covered berry patch to finish off in the fall. They stay there the first year then replace my spent strawberries in there 4th or 5th year. It saves me A LOT of bed space. I do transplant a few into my spinach garden too... they companion especial well with spinach. They do not companion well with Okra.. I don't care what the gardening apps say... they take feed away from the okra. If you're looking for something to provide a living mulch for an okra bed; try petunias in spring and clover in fall. They reseed themselves... both also tolerate shade, wet feet and nutrition back to the soil. I've been dialing this in for a while now. (Also late season pole beans and occasional sunflowers bed well together with the okra petunia and clover mix).

[@1Ggirl1959]

I agree. The pest pressure here in the south is too much for organic strawberries in the ground. I put mine in a Greenstalk and other containers. They are doing much better now. I already have fruit from bare root I just planted early spring!

[@jeas4980]

@@1Ggirl1959 Yep. Why add more work for yourself. Absolutely love my Greenstalks. Worth every penny. Hopefully, I'll be able to buy one or more a year for the next couple years. My goal (I do a lot of canning) is to grow a total of 10 towers worth.. 2 year ones, 2 in their second, 2 in there 3rd year... and so on so I can continue to rotate those 5th years out and fill them with new plants. Organic straw is nearly impossible to find here now and this year the cost for straw reached beyond the expense for greenstalks and fresh soil.

[@shindylahoe]

I had heard as a child that strawberry plants grow old. I was just thinking about this yesterday and was wondering if I had really understood that correctly. Now this video confirms it! Thanks so much for the great education.

[@davinasquirrel7672]

They still produce as older plants, just not as much. Commercial growers retire them at 2-4 years (or 1-3 years from bare root). But as a home gardener, not motivated by profit level, you can keep your older plants. I keep my old girls in their original pots, they give me new seedlings every year to replenish the crops. The old girls have to be eight or nine years old at least. Sure, they do not produce many fruits, but I keep them in service for 'baby making'.

[@1963charmaine]

I've got 4 strawberry plants to plant tomorrow. Thanks for the info.

[@7t2z28]

Every strawberry plant I've ever had just sort of appeared in my yard, so I put it in the garden and by the following season it's 30 plants. Always end up with a pretty good harvest too. I just let them go, maybe thin them out if they get too thick. I usually give them a good mulching once a year and they seem to like it.

[@turtlewoman]

Thanks Luke! Reminded me to do the bird netting over top. I also put out noise makers which seems to help!

[@crazybyproxy]

This year I had planned to start beds, then we got evacuated due to wildfires. By the time we get home it will be too late so it will be container gardening if all goes well. Sadly the tomatoes I had started will be done for. (Been out for 10 days so far) This is great info for starting beds.

[@terrihart2133]

Thank you. Thinking of starting a strawberry patch.

[@tinabloomfield7228]

Ive always had a hard time growing strawberries.....having nothing but blueberry sized berries that were nothing but mush!!! After watching this....i know what to do now ❤️ THANK YOU

[@hackiehackerson]

we use our fall leaves on top of the soil. It eventually composts and strawberries love it, and it keeps the weeds out. we collect and use grass clippings as mulch too, for veggies and whatever is left we put in our compost pile