briguy9686
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Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2015 4:32 pm
Location: Chicago

growing strawberries

I'd like to start a rooftop garden and grow strawberries in some old dresser drawers I found.
...Any tips?
I understand there are a lot of different kinds of strawberries I could grow. I suppose I should try a variety that s fairly easy to start, but also taste good. I bought some "starters" where I put the seeds in and add water, then I can transport them into soil when the weather is right.
I also am curious about how many strawberries I'll get and when they are ready to pick? It's April now, so if I start them now, when will there be strawberries ready to pick? Will I only get one batch a year, or will they keep yielding? Do you recommend staggering the seeds so I get strawberries throughout the summer....?
I really have no idea what I'm doing so ANYTHING you can suggest would be very much appreciated. O:)

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sweetiepie
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Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: York, ND (Zone 3b)

I haven't started strawberries from seed but my strawberry plants didn't fruit much the first year. I am hoping they come back this year. The strawberries I planted two years ago didn't come back last year and they were suppose to be for zone 3b.

It depends on what kind of strawberry you have, some are junebearing and put fruit on all at one time. Others are everbearing and continue to put fruit on all summer. I wouldn't stagger the strawberries because it really will take a year for them to get established.

Knowing where you live would help a lot in helping you. For me dresser drawers wouldn't work because the strawberries would be to cold in the winter.

RedBeard1987
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Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 3:28 pm
Location: South suburbs Chicago. Zone 5a

I'm in the same area as you and have grown strawberries for the last couple years. I have had decent success I would say. Starting them from seeds will take some time. a good strawberry bed takes at least a year to get going right. your best bet if you want to eat some this year would be to go out and get some already established plants. I usually look for some with some runners out already.(runners are vines that will grow more strawberry plants.) pinch all the flowers the first year and let each plant set out runners. once the runners establish a new plant cut the connecting vines. next year you will have a big bed of strawberries.

I'm usually impatient and set out a few small pots and just let them flower and set fruit. you can get a couple good strawberries but it takes time to get good yields. Just a word of warning, birds love berries! make sure you find a way to protect them especially being a rooftop garden! I like ever bearing varieties, they set fruit more continuously. june bearing set fruit all at one time usually. I'm still new to all this so I'm sorry if any of my info is wrong. if so please someone correct me!

Mr green
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2015 6:08 pm
Location: Sweden

sweetiepie wrote:Knowing where you live would help a lot in helping you. For me dresser drawers wouldn't work because the strawberries would be to cold in the winter.
I'm in sweden and we get really cold at times, the strawberries really loves a good winter. They are a nordic plant to begin with. Sure is better in the ground, but to kill a strawberry plant for me seems almost impossible.

And as said before if you start from seed don't expect much harvest the first year, while 2nd and 3rd is usually the best years of the plant. So after a few years you wanna plant some runners to replace old plants with. Or maybe 1/3 or 1/2 of the bed to get some better spread. Now this isnt totally needed they will keep producing throughout the years.

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sweetiepie
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Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:18 pm
Location: York, ND (Zone 3b)

I think my problem was it got so cold but we didn't have much snow especially where that bed was located. I had mulch on but we were still getting below zero temps in April so I didn't take the mulch off until May and maybe they rotted. Or didn't have enough protection. That winter we spent weeks at 30 below.

This winter has been little snow but we had warm temps in January 30's and then in February below zero and March was below zero one week, 50 the next and then cold again. So I am hoping it doesn't mess them up. I tried taking off the mulch but it is still frozen in places but I plan on keeping a better eye on it.

tomato boy
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Location: central New Jersey

You can plant strawberries in anything from drawers to hanging baskets get a few ever bearing plants its faster they will multiply from leaf trailers and in hanging baskets they will trail down and keep going fertilizers like hollytone will keep them bearing fruit water regularly just watch out for birds



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