Strawberry Growing Tips For 2023

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

If you're just starting out gardening in 2023, please check out my Amazon Affiliate links below to get the right tools for the job! It doesn't cost you a cent, but this channel receives a small incentive for any items purchase through Amazon. Happy Gardening! Seedling Trays! Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3xiKAgi Amazon USA: amzn.to/3DWD2DR Amazon UK: amzn.to/3RRlrCQ pH/Water/Light Meter Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3yafmrV Amazon USA: amzn.to/3OKRW30 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3nvEIM4 Composting Tumbler! Amazon Canada: amzn.to/39CgtYw Amazon USA: amzn.to/39Dha49 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3yLsKVf Handy 12-piece Garden Tool Set!: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3jsNIyk Amazon USA: amzn.to/2YZhFwx Amazon UK: amzn.to/3qapNql Hand Pruners: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/2YSIFxP Amazon USA: amzn.to/3q3Oftq Amazon UK: amzn.to/2YR3Xf8 Watering Can: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/39U4nIc Amazon USA: amzn.to/2YR3p94 Amazon UK: amzn.to/3oX7hAa Spray Gun: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/3aBxijm Amazon USA: amzn.to/3aL7UHS Amazon UK: amzn.to/3ruol1Z Gardening Gloves: Amazon Canada: amzn.to/2Lt6ZDx Amazon USA: amzn.to/3tzJ32t Amazon UK: amzn.to/3jpf1cU

[@mamakat7176]

This is my first year growing strawberries and I can't thank you enough 😊

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on, hope its a bountiful year for you! :-)

[@sandyhayden-bristow1382]

This was an amazing comprehensive view of working with strawberries. Well done Jeff and thank you for all you do for us.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much for watching.....appreciate you sandy! 🙂

[@brianbarcus5853]

Great strawberry growing tips and education on strawberries! I am in a wheelchair now and cannot garden but you make it fun and educational I love watching you garden. Plus I can grow some on my windowsills and side porch if I really apply myself. Your channel is great! Thanks for making gardening fun, interesting, and enjoyable!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much Brian, sorry to hear about the wheelchair. What are you into growing on the ledges and window sills? What's working well for you this year so far?

[@AlexM-sg8fn]

Hi Jeff, greetings from the UK! After watching numerous uploads of yours I felt it was about time I was courteous and showed my appreciation for the best gardening videos on KZbin, your easy explanations are genius and the videos themselves absolutely fascinating buddy - very easy to binge on them, as I do! Out of interest, and I’m sure you’re already aware, but the lizard in your video is not a US native so was surprised to see it - Podarcis muralis, the European wall lizard, a great little critter who will be your strawberries best friend eating literally every invertebrate pest whilst adding some small amounts of organic fertiliser in the process! Cheers again buddy, Al 👍

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Ha ha you got it Alex.....and its not even a Canadian native, which is where I am! A zoo that went bankrupt back in the 80's let loose all their animals, Bullfrogs and Wall Lizards were two of them and in the 40 years since have absolutely taken over the native fauna. I even wrote a paper on the Wall Lizards back in high school for a national geography contest, ha ha, so I've been keenly aware of these little guys since 1993.....30 years! I call them naturalized now as there's no getting rid of them and they do eat a ton of insects. Cheers man, thanks so much for watching! :-)

[@batzzz2044]

Last year I stole 10 wild strawberry plants from a yard I landscape. They thought they were weeds. I am so excited for them this year.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

The wild ones can be sooooo tasty!

[@makeoversbymeme2077]

😂😂 I love it

[@kebantsabane3606]

You sneaky sneaky

[@Candlewick14]

You stole something you thought was a weed but planted it? Hmmmm

[@batzzz2044]

@@Candlewick14 I stole wild strawberries FROM A YARD I LANDSCAPE. THEY(as in not me) thought they were weeds. Hopefully that clears up your confusion? God has the education system failed horribly. It's honestly a daily miracle the world doesn't burst in to flame. Avoid holes.

[@ammorales1524]

I have started growing strawberries last year and also got new plants from the runners. The variety I am growing is ever Bearing. The older plants planted last year started producing last year too but last week I was able to harvest large sweet and juicy fruits from them. Thanks for the helpful tips especially on fertilizing and mulching. I am looking forward to a better harvest throughout this year.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

And it only gets better AM! 🙂

[@marissareed5790]

The cinematic of this video is really entertaining

[@gator_momma_30]

This is a GREAT video for beginners! Thank you!!!

[@monicagilbert799]

Thanks for the information will definitely try these method of growing my strawberries

[@GottabKD777]

Year 3 in my Alberta Strawberry patch this year and they’re growing gangbusters!!! I’ve learned a lot about them from you, so thank you!!! We love them!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Ahhhh year 3.....the mega year! Best of luck!! 🙂

[@glassbackdiy3949]

I followed one of your earlier strawberry videos, planted 3 varieties last autumn, fed with a comfrey extract and again in Spring, we're in abundance in the first year! 4 pints of straweberry milkshake per day so far, thanks for your tips

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hey right on, happy to hear that!

[@Pausereflectandbreathe]

Wow! I haven’t had a good strawberry harvest for years. Thank you for this info! I hope this year will be more productive. ❤🙏

[@LeanneJohns-z4d]

December 8 Australia! Thank you, so informative and a pleasure to listen to and watch! I feel easier now (as a first time attempted grower) giving them a go! 👍👍👍

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hey, that's awesome, thanks for watching! Just heading into your summer, hope you have a productive one!

[@AEF808]

Thank you! I had no idea what I was doing when planting strawberries...

[@TDAEON]

I'm so berry impressed! 😊 All puns aside I really appreciate the detailed step by step coverage of how to keep strawberries happy and fruitful. I'm inspired by how green and healthy your strawberry plants look.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much TD...I didn't want to leave anything out!

[@ussgil]

All my strawberries are 1st year. Producing strawberries about 1 a week. Hail damage bruised and shredded my plants. One plant is all runners and giving me more plants. 11 plants is not enough. Next year I hope to triple my plants. The best tasting strawberries are home grown for sure. Love your videos.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Totally agree Gilbert.....its never enough! Especially with kids..they can mow down 60 berries each a day! 🙂

[@Ash-xx5zd]

Amazing comprehensive coverage of this plant. Have been overwatering my strawberries. And the overfertilizing is also good info I'll remember! Thank you. 💬+💛

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Ash, and thanks for checking the video out! :-)

[@zan4110]

Thanks..!..I have two plants so bought last year..overwintered well..and have lots of flowers..I remembered to feed them..shortly after the started to grow again..( from watching your video last winter)... 😊

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on Zan....not much longer now!!

[@theleadershipgardener]

Thanks for this! Everything I needed to get my little guys started.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on, happy to help and best of luck!!

[@donnakacz6460]

Hi Jeff. I'm interested. I think I can do this. Thanks Jeff. I took notes. Thanks again. Take care❤

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Definitely you can Donna! Pick up some starters and go with container strawberries to get a feel for it first! :-)

[@naomi2646]

Thank you Jeff! I love your garden and help.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Naomi, hope everything is going great in your world! :-)

[@naomi2646]

@TheRipeTomatoFarms Raising small flock has been alot of work but so fun. Now they are almost laying age I can get back to my gardening. They enjoyed most of my early greens.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@naomi2646 that's exciting Naomi! Lots of work, but well worth it!

[@lizzyl-k5396]

I like your style of explaining. Thank you! Great source of knowledge

[@AnyKeyLady]

Great video Jeff! Just started tucking into ours. We may have enough for jam again this year! Some of the terracotta lips from our planter have broken off so i am considering switching to crate towers, once these have finished. They look like they will give them more inter space, allowing for more plants too. Establishing a new stalon or runner would be easier too. I would be very sad having to pay 6$CA for a strawberry plant. I refilled two planters from one plant two years ago from the runners. I can't tell which one is the mother plant now but i always keep the runners to propagate and fill in the ones that did over winter. If i have any leftover runners, they make great presents. Other than feeding them twice, they don't really require as much maintenance as some other plants, same with our rhubarb. Just made 2 and a half (900ml) tubs of rhubarb crumble ice cream today from 900g of rhubarb. Going to make some rhubarb, orange and ginger jam later this week! Currently drying out some grass cuttings in a crate, so i used the leaves to cover the crate as we were predicted thunderstorms as it already got to 32c here today during this mini heatwave. Very early to hit 30c here but hope we don't get the 40c temps like we got last year! Have you been affected by the wildfires where you are in Canada? Hope you and your family is keeping safe and from the smoke too. I saw the footage of New York and it all looked awful. Your doggo is cute. Can i ask how old they are? Best wishes from London, UK.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

That's exactly.....when I see $6 a plant I just about pass out, LOL! Fortunately, you only have to ever buy one plants and then you're off to the races! 32C already for you? That's bonkers.....a record? Luckily the wildfires are a province over in Alberta.....but we're definitely on high alert here and campfire bans are now in effect. 😞

[@AnyKeyLady]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Yes they have banned disposable bbq's here in public parks and they do kinda here with firepits. No campfires as too residential and bad enough not tending their composters that caught on fire last year. I have that social renting noisy new neighbours who ignores the rules about everything. Chopping down trees in a conservation area in May, chopping hedges down again in May when a lot of birds lost their nests and spend a lot of time in our garden now. They were doing their patio at 10pm when my kid was asleep right next to them on a school night. We have air bricks, in a brick house, which was lovely for my kid not. They like to have parties until 1am in the garden and have the fire pit going in 40 c weather, with no appropriate adult supervision on the patio 5m (if that) away from the houses. The neighbours on the other side who are privately renting, moved out of their end of terrace house after they blocked off their fire escape alley to join the outside toilet building to the main house to create a bedroom for their adult kid. Such a big worry for us now if they have a fire outbreak as that fire alley is also meant to be a third fire escape access point as they are the end of the terrace. We are backed onto a dangerous no entry area, hence the fire alleys and escape tunnels from the rear of the house. It is highly regulated as i thought but as i was washing my outside windows upstairs, minding my own business, they felt it necessary to shout up at us to tell us that it was all approved and above board.... They also lied about who is their housing association is when i asked and already knew, when they kept on parking over our drive. When we got our loft extension done, we had to get so many people involved from the council, get the plans registered by the architects and the council planners would regularly have to visit and inspect. 3rd parity agreements with the neighbours on the terrace all had to sign it and it was very expensive. None of that happened with these renters and the work was done by one of the kids grandfather, called Paddy (That is literally his name!). So yes, as their poor dog and animals stay outside all night to bark and make noise as they wonder, coming from an urban area to the suburbs, that there are foxes and rats and how storing 20 pets in a shed is not a great idea and why the dog is constantly barking. Gardening was and is my therapy after trauma. We lost my MIL last Feb and then my Dad had a stroke during the July heatwave. I was also very sick but still had to deal with entertaining my teen niece and her bf going off into London during train strike or heat rail issues and my sister interfering from The Netherlands, with no local knowledge of how it has changed since she left. I had to drive over an hour, often escorting different people like on a tourist taxi visit to the hospital just so i could look after my Dad as the hospital was over packed. 12 hours in a chair 24hrs for a bed and he had a stroke... Petrol prices were at its highest and we had big inheirtance tax bill to pay for my MIL, before we could do anything with that. And i was still sick. My family living in other countries were gossiping and hating on me when i was already things but not advertising on social media, as i am not that kind of person. When my sister finally arrived for the weekend and left our house straight after to go partying with her friends, like we're a hotel, she visits my Dad in ICU, mask off, next to the dying patients, having travelled through several countries from the Netherlands, to have a selfie, with my Dad that she promptly posted on FB! All this while, telling the family how bad i am at looking after him. The first thing we did was take his cat in, which i am very highly allergic too, so that plus recovering from covid, plus heatwave was not a lot of fun. She is an outdoors cat but she lives in the countryside and wouldn't be safe in a busy residential area, next to an aggressive dog. She was also a rescue after a dog attack as a kitten and had to have her jaw rewired, so not ideal. I am more of a dog rescue person and have plenty in our time. Our fur daughter passed in Dec '19 when i got really sick. Hubby doesn't know how to drive, so everything gets complicated, like labour, etc. Really sorry for this rant but yeah. I just hope it isn't as bad as last year. And i am learning to say no to people now too. We are low income now after my illness, so gave friends plants on the proviso that we got the pots back, so they could get plants back next year. When i asked for them back after waiting so long as i wanted to give them this years plants, they told me they put them in the bin! This year, I have limited plants due to poor germination. They are getting reused fizzy bottles for pots. The delay in returning the pots mean the plants are a bit stunted. Going to sell the rest at the school fair as it will all go back to the school. Only offered plants to one friend/ neighbour this time. Communities and families shouldn't be about expecting something. I always prefer someone's presence than presents. Is that too much to ask for these days?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@AnyKeyLady Oh never worry about ranting...I think we have one of the best communities out there.....we all deserve to be heard and to let others know we're just as much people as we are gardeners!! Find solace in your gardening and comfort in your plants. I treat mine like family sometimes, just by how much I hang out with them each and every day! Take care, we got you! 🙂

[@ChescoYT]

Ty for this from a 1st time grower

[@roxanadcortessoto6440]

Excelent video. Very instructive. Thanks for all the tips!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Roxana, thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂

[@maryp2718]

Great video! It is very informative and comprehensive. Thank you.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks Mary, appreciate the kind words. 🙂

[@patriciatinkey2677]

Just what I meeded! Thanks Jeff! I've saved this to my garden list, since your seasons for planting strawberries aren't quite in synch with ours in South Florida! If I wanted them for this summer, I should have planted in April or March! I'll review this in the fall! Good 🍀🌱 Harvests to you!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Patricia, thanks for watching, have a great week! :-)

[@yukonsmomma3562]

Thanks Jeff. Your advice is very helpful!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers, always happy to help!

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi Jeff, brilliant video! I tool your advice on only fertilising twice this seadon and the difference is incredible. Second year with my new plants & never had so many strawberries. Thanks for your detailed videos. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

That's so awesome to hear Christine! Do you amends your soil with any compost during the off season at all?

[@christinebrooks6364]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms I don't but, shall I? If so, what would you suggest for my Strawberries? Thanks 🙂

[@cokesonyou1201]

This video is so important haha! I have started some strawberries by seeds due to wanting some cultivations im not able to buy. But also i bought two different types of strawberries! They are so exciting and giving and incant wait to get mine going ( i hope to get them to sent daughter runners next year hhaha)

[@Sunflowerdivinity]

Really good and helpful video thanks a lot for sharing !! 😊 and never would have thought about the "straw" in strawberry, meaning they like mulch so informative even never knew about the crown needing to poke put of the soil a bit

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks, appreciate that! Yes, that inner crown HAS to sit high and proud (above the soil, not necessarily the mulch)....plant them right and you're more than half way there! 🙂

[@lorisaunders176]

Always love your videos! Awesome tips!🇨🇦💕

[@dylan_mayes]

fantastic, thanks... i have a whole tray of climbing strawberry seedlings started and a bed of some second year strawberries i know how to improve now

[@scottlindsay856]

Thanks this is my first year. Appreciate it!

[@brettfoster6786]

Great info and video. I’m new and started with 4 plants I got 7 more from the runners this is going to be fun for the raised garden 🪴 . No more mistakes ❤

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on Brett... Do you know what varieties you're growing?

[@brettfoster6786]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms I think ever bearing. I got them from Lowe’s in Hannibal Missouri .

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@brettfoster6786 nice, best of luck with them!

[@VHYYZ2023]

Thank you so much for your video. ❤Strawberries!

[@rosecarbajal305]

First timer and I've learned so much from your video - thank you! I do have some yellow and brown leaves at the base. I'm guessing overwatering? Can I pluck those leaves out? I am going to buy the straw also so I'm thankful for the tip.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks rose, happy to help! Yes, you can cut (they are sooooo hard to pull off without damaging the plant) any yellow or brown leaves at any time with strawberries.

[@donnamarshak3397]

Thank you for your knowledge!

[@phylliskrafft]

Thanks for the tips

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers Phyllis, thanks for watching! 🙂

[@SupremegreenlawncareLLC]

Great information!👏🏿

[@valjalava1951]

Great video I planted sea scape strawberries this year and have them in a green stock should I fill up the green stock as the dirt seems to have settled,before I add some of the new cutting to each pocket

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Nice! A little extra dirt/compost will never hurt. Have they started to fruit yet?

[@tammyj.9152]

Thank you so much for all your great videos. I just planted a vertical planter not long ago with strawberry plants. I am anxious to see how they do. I have another quick question for you if you don't mind answering... It's in regards to garlic and we are afraid if we don't get the answer quickly are garlic will be rot... This is our first season growing it. We are in zone 6b in the Missouri Ozarks. We have read and watched a lot of videos and haven't really seen this question covered... Based on the garlic leaves, we thought it was about ready to harvest... so we pulled back the mulch to help with it drying it... and after not having any rain for awhile... well, you guessed it. It's now been raining quite a bit. It has stopped at this moment (today) and is cool and cloudy. We are worried about the garlic molding or possibly rotting if we leave it in. We planted quite a bit of it... 409 cloves (13 different varieties of hard and softneck garlic)... and yes, we harvested the scapes from the hardnecks too. Yay... There was some controvery regarding when the scapes should be harvested though as some would say as soon as the scapes started to appear and others saying after it made it's first curl. We had a few small garlic plants that some animal had knocked over so we decided to go ahead and pull them and the variety was called Nootka Rose. This variety turned out to be very small and 2 of them had what looked like the start of another bulb (with like 2 to 3 little cloves busting out of the stem) about 4-5 inches above the main bulb. We don't know what has caused this .... (wish I could attach a picture). Anyways, we were hoping to get your great advice ASAP so we could tend to the garlic in the right way. I know you have said that garlic is quite a mess harvesting it when the ground is wet however, better a bit messy than bad garlic..... So, please accept our apology for placing a garlic question under your strawberry video.... but in all hopes since it's your newest video we were hoping you would see it quickly and we could either harvest it today or stop worrying lol........ Thank you for understanding.... and we appreciate you and your time and expertise so much...

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Yup, been there Tammy.....you can't control nature. If it rained and the garlic is still growing, fear not, just let it keep growing, mulch or no mulch. Check the weather and try to let it go for 4-5 days without rainfall....if the garlic is truly ready to harvest (foliage has died back 75%), then start harvesting before it rains again. Garlic will NOT rot if its still growing undisturbed in the ground....its when you start pulling it up and severing the root's ties to the ground that they can rot if left wet. Also, harvesting wet isn't terrible...it just makes is 5x harder than harvesting when dry. Not ideal, but not impossible.

[@tammyj.9152]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms THANK YOU ... I am headed out to the garden right now to evaluate things... lol.. before it starts raining again....

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@tammyj.9152 Keep us updated Tammy! Its not a unique situation and a lot of people can learn from it! 🙂

[@gazellecarlson6543]

nice i just planted my 1st strawberry patch

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Right on, best of luck! :-)

[@francus7227]

Just tapping the thumbs up 👍 button to feed the algorithm monsters.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks so much.... Appreciate the support!

[@AJWGBFX]

I now know why I've been so useless at growing strawberries 😭 Thank you!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Best of luck. You got this! 🙂

[@sandyhayden-bristow1382]

No, you're not useless, just no one has shown you before now. Give it a go with everything you've learned and I bet you are going to have the time of your life!!!

[@pb.pb.pb.pb.]

Thank you for such an awesome informative video ! This is my first time gardening at all and I chose to grow strawberries. I am in NY and have houses all around me with main sun coming in from up top 😢… I was hoping you could help me with something. I am very confused as to how much water to give. So, I planted 6 strawberry plants that i bought (plants), in a 30” x 18” rectangle container. About 12” deep. And the whole container is held up by 4 legs about 3 feet off the ground. I drilled holes in the bottom and put the straw mulch. I can’t let the container sit in water once a week because of the way it’s built. Can you please help me? Do I water once a day or twice a day? And how much water do i put (in measurement) ? Like cups, gallons, etc. i have a water pot that hold about 1-2 gallons it looks like. I am very new and all other videos say 1-2 inches of water a week. I have no idea what that means lol. Thank you so much for any help in advance ! And the video did help so much.

[@carieanredhead4318]

Thanks much for the info 👍

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers, thanks for watching!

[@rlbgardener6465]

Hi Jeff, another great video on strawberries. I do have a question, I have noticed some wild strawberries plants out in my pasture the last couple of years, do you think they would be worth digging up and transplanting into pots and when would be the best time to transplant them?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Definitely RLB....I'd do a couple containers first, see how they taste. Wild ones send out runners like CRAZY, so if you like them, you'll have millions in 1-2 seasons. As for planting, literally any time from last spring frost date to 3-4 weeks before last fall frost date. Earlier is better though. 🙂

[@rlbgardener6465]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms thanks Jeff I’ll be digging them up this week and getting them into some pots.

[@itowmyhome797]

Thank you

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Cheers. 🙂

[@erichaskell]

Although I have never had success with strawberries, one year having purchased a new variety, I determined a month later that they had slugs with them and those slugs loved my mulch! I ended up having to do a death purge in that bed as Sevin and diatomaceous soil failed me.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

I hear you on that one Eric. If its not the pill bugs, its the slugs and if its not the slugs, its the birds....sigh.

[@Mandy138Cool]

Red rocks really do work for birds. *IF* you're going to mulch up to the plant (haven for pill bugs and slugs), do a mixture of Dawn soap (just a touch), baking soda, and water, and it will deter slugs; you can put on plants, on berries, on soil, on mulch. Diatomaceous will not work on slugs or other non-chitinous critters.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@Mandy138Cool Great tips Amanda!

[@Haidersdiygardening]

Good work

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Thanks! :-)

[@jennifergasiorowski7471]

What size cloth pots are those! They look perfect for moving for suggested bottom water!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

They really are jennifer! 7 gallons. 10 gallons is too heavy and the 5 gallon ones are just that much too small.....7 gallons is the perfect size!

[@cuznclive2236]

Thank you! Where do you purchase your straw, please? Also, will woodchips or a balanced homemade compost be a good alternative? Asking because straw is not readily available here in southern VT, and the cost is high as jet smoke online.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hi, I hear you! I get my straw local here in Canada.... I've never seen an online version of it. Grass clippings that are nice and loose is a good alternative

[@cuznclive2236]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Appreciated! I can source hay easy enough, but it's all GMO (no sprays) and seemed to cause harm to some of my perennials after using it last fall. I would love grass clippings, but having a small yard and cutting it short for tick control makes it tough to get an amount worth the bother.

[@foreseengust]

Can you just devide the crown at the end of year 4? Or do you have to throw the old plants out and buy new plants or get them from runners?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@foreseengust you can definitely divide the crowns and keep back the young robust ones!

[@SH-jy6lc]

Hi! Thanks for valuable info. Its my 1st year growing strawberries from seeds. Some already formed berries but they are not ripe yet. Quick question. How to space them in containers? I bought this 24 inch long railing planter and planted 8 of them in there. Is it too overcrowded? Also how deep should the container be? Thanks

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

You can get away with tight spacing SH...you'll just be replanting them in 3 years instead of 5 or 6. Watch the moisture level and the nutrients, you can do it with 4" spacing for some varieties.

[@SH-jy6lc]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thank you! You're one of the best gardening channels! Videos are short, informative and well edited. Entertaining to watch. Greetings from Alberta! F trudeau! lol

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@SH-jy6lc Thanks so much, super appreciate the support! Stay safe if you're close to any of the fire stuff!

[@janicepyke5313]

Any added advice for everbearing strawberries?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

No, basically the same..... Avoid the temptation to fertilize and just make sure your soil is good going into the season. Pick the berries as they ripen and watch the moisture levels!

[@filomenaj.3903]

What do you do for spider mites on your plants? I container garden my strawberries and didn’t have an issue with this last year, but this year I do have a problem

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hi Filomena, as an outdoor plant in my climate, my strawberries simply don't get them. Spider mites really only attach the inside stuff here. But if I did, I'd use this spray: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4O8p6pvq7eaq80

[@filomenaj.3903]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms You’re lucky not to have a problem with. Thanks for the link, I will have to try out those methods. It is kind of hard to avoid getting spray on the fruit. Should I avoid eating those berries or is it fine?

[@apeekabooiseeyoua]

Do you have any tips about black spot on the leaves?🍓

[@KateNQue]

what is the best kind of pot (material) to use if growing in pots?

[@MPOULL]

How do I over winter strawberries in a fabric grow bag? In the yard or in the garage?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mminoqN_irmCosk It can be tricky.....exposure is they key, but you also can't have them break dormancy by keeping them too warm.

[@Chattyman2]

Can I use a light liquid feed when flowers have formed, such as a tomato feed or seaweed?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

I always avoid feeding.....you can experiment though if you have multiple plants, especially self-contained potted ones.

[@rachelstark2391]

Greetings, What, if you just bought plants this season do you still fertilize? Cheers 🍷

[@indiochino7654]

Can you grow them in the little pots before you moved it to the bigger garden?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Most definitely.... Strawberries move and transplant VERY well.

[@carolbullard7956]

I have 2 everbearing plants. I had a lot of flowers on both plants, until something came & ate all of the flowers & a lot of the leaves. Any idea what could have done this & what can I do to avoid this from happening again? They're recovering some & I have a few strawberries that just started to grow. I would greatly appreciate any input. Thanks!

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Wow, sorry to hear that Carol....the only thing in my area that would cause that type of damage would be deer.

[@carolbullard7956]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thank you! We suspected deer or rabbits. Can I cover the plants with netting when I see the flowers?

[@Sunflowerdivinity]

I've seen squirrels jump on one of my potted strawberries before they don't so much eat the fruit though.

[@carolbullard7956]

@@Sunflowerdivinity ya. Something ate the flowers & leaves. I think next year, I'll put netting over the plants when I start getting flowers. IF this guy says it's ok.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@carolbullard7956 For sure....netting can work wonders as a deterrent Carol! 🙂

[@DJ-cr9nb]

My strawberry mother plant has some leaf curling but no signs of any disease, could this be from fertilizing too often? I will admit I made the mistake of using a liquid fertilizer once/twice a week for the month of june until now, and after watching all of your videos I think this could be it but I would hate to see them go 😢

[@larryydens3050]

I started growing strawberries last year in a 3’ raised bed (4’x8’). I used a quality compost in the entire bed, and interplanted some beets, which I replaced with asparagus this year. They are on drip… 10 minutes every day. They produced some fruit last year, but not prolific. I kept the bed covered during the winter under a fabric and plastic hoop grow tent. This year, the bed is exploding with berries. I fertilized (2-2-2) in the early spring, and added mulch (green pine needles and straw. I have cut all the runners I can find. My concern is the massive overcrowding in the bed… apparently the runners set new plants under the straw. Also the plants themselves are now 12-14” high. They tower over most of the new asparagus growth. I presume I need to thin out the bed, but what about the height of the plants? Any suggestions?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Yeah, strawberries do get along with other plants Larry, but honestly, they crowd them out in short order....so I never grow them with others, even if in year 1 it looks like there's a ton of space. Strawberries set their fruit buds in the fall (June-bearing ones for sure), so they can be pruned easily when flowers appear.....I just never do. I hate messing with them during the fruiting season.

[@jullianwilliams553]

What is i don't have access to straw for mulch... what else can I use??

[@gloriajackson2021]

Do you completely cover the strawberries with straw over the winter?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Hi Gloria, yes, I cover mine with about 2 inches. Really cold climates will use a foot or more!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3asan5prqaUhrM

[@l_fair16]

Most of my strawberry plants are in window boxes hanging off of my deck. What is your suggestion for ant and other pest control? Japanese beetles and ants are always a big problem for me.

[@dvsmith79]

Hi how do you fertilize your watermelon?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

I fertilize them once at planting with high nitrogen, then again about a month later with a balanced blend. That's it. Some people feed a 3rd time, but it all depends on your soil.

[@LeticiaWorboys]

Fantastic! I just checked on my strawberries and some of thwm are very small and seedy. 😢

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Yes, like we said in the chat could be water, could be nutrients.....could also be lack of soil if they are outgrowing the containers.

[@LeticiaWorboys]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Yes it's mainly happening in the smaller containers so I plan to put them in the ground. Hopefully next year they will do better.

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@LeticiaWorboys I'm sure they will!

[@hudharizzy795]

I am new to planting , I bought ever bearing strawberries, it’s Been 2 months the leaves aren’t growing well soon after they start to grow its Turing crisp and the flowers are turning brown . I did fertilize them with 3-6-12 for a week. I don’t know what is wrong I am doing. Please help . I have potted them in a raised bed in my balcony .

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

How moist is the soil? What's your weather like?

[@hudharizzy795]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms when I touch with my hands it’s quite Moist not super watery moist . Currently my weather goes to hight of 82.4f and lower goes to 57.2 f.

[@WestCoastTerra]

How do you manage slugs that seem to love straw mulch? I have beautiful plants that produce large juicy berries, but inevitably when I go to pick them I discover they've been munched by slugs! I don't want to use pesticides, but beer traps aren't working for me.

[@lisafahrner8257]

When’s a good time to grow in SW Florida?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

That's a tough one Lisa as strawberries are a cold-weather plant. All my friends that live in warmer climates plant there's in September.

[@lisafahrner8257]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms Thank you,

[@Insight-Corrupted]

how do i grow them with long stem fruits so it doesn't touch the soil?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Use straw as a mulch

[@ttb1513]

How do you keep the squirrels and chipmunks from chowing on them?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Netting is really the only way unfortunately.

[@maxx907]

What type of straw are you comfortable using on strawberries

[@Ludick.J]

My 1 strawberry plant is producing fruit in the middle of winter while it's raining and it is very cold. The mother plant died back, but the offspring is going crazy.

[@brody1883]

I have a question, why is my strawberry leaves turning red? In in australia.

[@rey3610]

Where do you buy your straw mulch?

[@mrisaiahnieto]

How long, wide and deep is your strawberry raised bed in the video?

[@galenhaugh3158]

Best strawberries I ever grew was in heavy, sticky clay soil, unsuited for root vegetables because the clay soil didn't allow penetration of the carrots, onions, etc.

[@LilianMccomb-qj4ep]

Wen do I liquid feed my strawberry

[@myprtrump2207]

In Pennsylvania, all mine got moldy and most died. I believe it was the so-called organic potting soil

[@paulhutchinson1827]

A tip i have heard of only recently is red painted stones confuses the birds and they dont eat your fruit

[@SirDydimus86]

So this is a first for me, maybe because I'm in the US. I've never seen the letters "NPK" with the number values. Typically only X-X-X not XN-XP-XK. Is it only this company that labels their fertilizer this way? Canadian thing lol?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

No, we don't get it often up here either.....normally its just the 3 numbers! But this one company does it on all their bottles. Weird eh?

[@lindapham6331]

an thanks

[@nickfish5622]

I see a lot of things online that say you should feed your strawberries every two weeks I'm confused

[@JohnnyZBeatZ]

👍

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

🙂

[@fredrickkoenig8584]

Why does my leafs turn red on a new plant and die.

[@debbiethompson1697]

I am getting runners

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Perfect.....make more plants Debbie! 🙂

[@nicolenew1708]

❤❤❤

[@isador4784]

👍👍

[@Liam-sj2gm]

This is sick im gonna try and grow strawberries in my dorm now

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Ha ha go for it! Light and cooler tenps will be your only speedbumps!

[@lindapham6331]

hi

[@tracefl8625]

I'm growing everbearing strawberries but they never taste sweet

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Do you know the variety Trace?

[@hehawkiller]

Are you feeding them properly? You don’t want to over fertilize, and make sure you’re using a bloom ratio. I use Giya Green products and use a base medium that contains no fertilizer. My preference is the Promix HP mix with mycorrhizae, then amend the soil with Giya Greens 2-8-4 organic mix. Then the plants only take what they need when they need it. Every 30 days, I give a top feed to keep the soil amended. I’ve got new plants that have already started sweet tasting berries that are bigger than already situated plants. I wasn’t sure how it would go, as this is the first time I’m amending my strawberry soil, but I’m shocked by the results. Can’t wait for next year when they will be in their second year and produce hopefully some even more amazing berries. Pro tip…I PH my water to 6.5 also. They love a more acidic water to help absorb those vital micro and macro nutrients.

[@esmysyield2023]

@@TheRipeTomatoFarms I have the same problem. My variety is quinault.

[@tracefl8625]

I don't know the variety

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

@@tracefl8625 no worries... Just looking for reasons...

[@sabbyjones2308]

Wish the timing was better

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

What timing Sabby?

[@waynecleary48]

good information thank you. please get your face out of the picture the info is about strawberrys not you we do not have the same garden products as younor do we have the same seasons as you. can you please allow us to concentrate on the product

[@johannavalentine9025]

You are excited to be a thief?

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

Who's a thief?