So the other day I was nosing around in the garden section at Wal-Mart and came across an idea. I found these lovely packages of strawberries. And you know since strawberries are about my most favorite fruit I thought why not give it a try. 
Should be easy right? No? Does anybody know? I could certainly use some help here!I was reading about them on the internet and discovered you need to keep the flowers cut off the June bearing ones and expect a bigger crop next year. Okay, so maybe that's a little disappointing since I did buy one bag of them. Then the ever bearing are suppose to be pruned back to July and then hopefully you may get a good crop afterward. Okay.
I guess I will have to chock this up to a learning experience. But now I am thinking I better find something else to put in my pots. So I don't think I accomplished anything by buying these strawberries.
Seriously though if anybody has grown strawberries I really would love some input.
45 comments:
I had a strawberry patch when I lived in Colorado. I started with twelve plants - they grew like weeds! They were on the south side of the house and got half sun, half shade and lots of water. I tried to grow them here in Arizona but :( way too hot hot here. Good Luck!
No help here, but those strawberries sure would've looked cute in those pots!
My mother and MIL have grown strawberries and all I know is they are a lot of work.;D
My daughter planted a small patch last summer but the verdict is still out on hers. I'm temped to give them a try myself......
I have not grown strawberries and no very little about them, except that I love them!!! Could you grown some herbs in your pots; maybe basil and use it fresh in recipes?
Getting excited here too - to start our strawberries. Already got the blueberry and fruit trees in last week - just need the warm weather to start up!
I'll ask my husband - the Master Gardener that he is - he's off to the Northwest Flower and Garden show today picking out some more things we'll need for this year's garden!!! Love reading about your gardening experiences Susie - keep posting!
Hi Susie, me again - I forgot to ask you how you get the great backgrounds and side bar patterns on your blog here? Spring is coming and I want to freshen up the look of our blog as well!
We've done strawberries here and they do fine. Basically, I treated them to a huge dose of benign neglect - they get watered now and again, otherwise, they're on their own. Now, we haven't had any really big crops, but they've managed to hold on and even make babies, so I still hold out hope!
Strawberries don't mind the cold much, so consider putting them in a little raised bed somewhere that they can stay permanently, and see what happens.
Susie, I've never planted strawberry seeds, but I once ordered 25 strawberry from one of those seed and plant catalogs, and I had excellent luck with them. I raised enough to have plenty to give away and plenty to eat. Once they get started, they make more new plants. I shared my new plants with several people to get them started. I guess it would be fun to grow them from seed, but I think you will do better to buy the plants and till up a row or two in your garden (or flower garden) for them. Mulch them with pine needles to keep down grass and to keep the berries off the dirt. Enjoy! ☺
Can't help with the growing part;
I just know how to eat them. And the best way is a pie piled high with cool whip. :D
Never grown them from seeds, would probably sow right in the ground. For your container, allysum or snow in summer would be beautiful against that green. That's my redneck two cents worth.
Susie, Listen to Darla---she knows how to grow pretty things!!!! I am no help--but like Jen, I can sure eat them!!!! ha...
If you still have your receipt, take them back and try something else in your pretty little pots...
Have a great evening.
Hugs,
Betsy
I have always wanted to grow strawberries, but never have. My daughter and I went out to a pick-your-own farm and picked buckets! So much fun! Good luck with yours Susie--keep us updated on your progress!
Deedee-I bet they probably did grow like weeds in CO. That's probably the perfect climate for them.
Jacquie-I may still try some in the pots, just not sure.
Milah-Lot of hard work? Oh that doesn't sounds like much fun!
Mildred-I could some plant some herbs in them. Last year I had a very big plant of basil.
Autumn-Oh I love flower/plant shows. I hope he finds some great things for you guys. I get my backgrounds that come with those sidebars at www.thecutestblogontheblock.com. Once on the website choose backgrounds and it will give you directions. It's pretty easy to do. They have a million choices. Let me know if I can help you.
Terri-Good basic neglect? That sounds great!
Dorothy-These aren't seeds. I guess I didn't specify that. These are bare roots. So they should do better than the seed. At least I hope so.
Jen-I'm with you girl. Eatin sounds good especially with some whipped cream.
Darla-Thanks girl, you know I always appreciate your "redneck" two cents worth! hehe!
Betsy-I did think about taking them back but I really want to try to grow them. They remind me of my grandparents cause they always had strawberries.
Linda-I've never gone to one of those pick your own strawberry farms. But when I worked for a doctor one time we had a patient who use to bring us fresh strawberries from one of those farms. They were delicious!
I've never grown strawberries Susie, but I was looking at these when I bought my onions at Walmart, lol. They would do well in a strawberry pot since they tend to take over in the garden.
Hi Susie.
Sorry, but I know absolutely nothing about growing strawberries, only about eating them and making jelly! I only got my gardening start a couple of summers ago, so I'm not much help. I'll be glad when it's time to plant my garden, though. I'm ready for some FRESH veggies!
Take care
Lisa
Susie, I know I have seen strawberries in hanging baskets. Why not put a couple of the roots in on of the hanging buckets and give it a try. They grow runners and little plants start at the end of the runners so they should look great. And if you get a few berries-all the better! In the others, how about 'million bells' or sweet potato vine? Just have fun with it. If it dosen't work out try something else. Good luck!
No help here Susie but wish you good luck with your future plants. The packets look wonderful and so does your new header!
Racquel-I looked at those onions too! lol. It probably would be best to plant them in pots or I guess I could make a designated spot for them only.
Lisa-Girl, I know what you mean! I am so ready for fresh veggies too!
Beckie-I think I will try some of the roots in a pot or two but that million bell idea sounds great too! I love that plant. Wouldn't a dark rosy color with a yellow eye look pretty in that yellow pot. Of course purple would be pretty too!
Kanak-I'm glad you like my new header. That is a bloom from my Magnolia I wrote about in one of my last posts. I'm glad I got that picture because this morning we woke up to 30 degrees and a hard freeze. The blooms didn't fare too well and look pretty bad.
I have wild woodland strawberries but I know nothing about trying to grow them. Good luck!
http://pigeonhaspants.com/2008/06/28/wild-strawberries/
Thanks Elise I appreciate it anyway.
Susuie, Could I please have your e-mail address? I want to start replying to comment by e-mail instead of on my blog. My address is dayep@hughes.net. If you don't want to e-mail yours to me, I will certainly understand.
Dorothy
We grow strawberries in hanging baskets all the time here. At the nursery they are a big seller, especially for people who have balconies. Just put them in, and wait a little while. You will get great berries. I don't cut off blossoms, I want to eat berries!
Let me know how it goes.
Jen
Dorothy I will shoot you an email. I don't mind giving you my address at all.
Jen-Thanks for the advice. I hated reading the part about cutting off the blooms the first year. I thought, I want to eat berries this year! I'll let you know how it goes.
Maybe you could get the seeds started in an egg carton. When they have taken "hold" then transplant them to your pots? Thanks for stopping by my blog - I love your comments! DeeDee
Susie I can't see why not! I saw just that last summer on someone's blog showing us how she hung her pots of planted strawberries...I have calvanized pots(like yours) I fill w/ flowers and hang along the walkway...I'm going to try the strawberries!! I'm going to plant the mini ones...let's exchange our progress! smiles and hugs NG
I've never grown strawberries from seed, only from plants. I found them to be quite hardy in NC and Ohio. We usually did not cut off the blossoms because we figured a few strawberries the first year were better than none.
Hi Susie,
As usual, I'm a little late! I'm sorry you've gotten sick. I hope you feel better real soon. Cindy is feeling better now so hopefully we won't pass this around. I'm sure she picked it up because her immune system is probably not back to 100% from all the chemo and treatments this summer.
Have a great weekend, feel better.
Vicki
Gurl....you know I don't know nuthin about birthin' no strawberries!! LOL LOL
I LUV your new look sissy! It's sooo springy. I wish I were springy....just not feelin it here in Arkansas today with the rain. YUCKKKKKY DUCKY!!
Susie, I've grown strawberries but it has been a few years ago. I didn't grow them in pots but in a garden plot. They grew well for me but they definitely did better at producing fruit the second year rather than the first. I didn't prune them back or anything though.
Cute pots! Hope you find something to put in them. :D
Hi, Susie, I'm no help either! My mother has grown strawberries for years, but I've never tried them myself. If you can find a small corner in your garden to put them in, I think that's your best bet. I remember my mom always mulched them with straw. I like Beckie's idea of the million bells or callabrochia in those pots--add some moisture crystals so they don't dry out, though.
I could've sworn I commented here when I read this post the other day. Can you help me figure out why I didn't?? (Nevermind, it's the aging process.)
I'll say this much about growin strawberries in a pot like the one you have pictured: I did it last year. The only thing is I don't remember the variety name or where I got the little strawberry plant. The fruit was smaller than a grape, but talk about sweet!
So I posed this question to my gardener husband and he said if you pluck the blossoms off of the plants the first year then the plant will be able to put all of it's energy into growing a bigger and hardier and more filled out strawberry plant, then the following year you'll have bigger, better berries. Otherwise, if you leave the blossoms on the energy will go into producing some smaller berries this year and the plant won't fill out as much. I guess you just have to decide if it's worth the wait for better berries?? ( Oh, we did pull the blossoms off ours the first year. )
Nature Girl-sounds like a great idea!
George-I think I have plenty to experiment with. Maybe I'll cut off some and let others go.
Thanks Vicki-I am feeling better today. I finished off my last antibiotic and am so glad. They tire me out pretty good.
Daisy-I think I will try some in the pots and the ground.
Rose-I think I will try the millions bells in at least one of the pots. That will be so cute!
TC-Oh don't worry about the commenting thing. It seems there are lots of time when me and Mr. Blogger don't get along. Someone will either end up with several of the same comments from me or none at all. Go figure.
Autumn-Thanks for checking with hubbbie. I think I will experiment and try pruning some back but not all.
What a treat. I've been growing strawberries with my nanna since I was a wee kid and I've continued with my passion for them. I usually gobble down the whole bed of strawberries in a matter of minutes then blame it on hedgehogs and slugs ;-) As far as everbearing and day neutral ones go, they do spread like weeds. With hardest means of neglect, they still rewards us with fruit. But the fruit itself rarely gets as big and delicious as with the June bearing. Those are the ones that get all of my attention. So much about gardeners and hypocrisy.
Good luck with your crops, wishing you a lot of tasty moments !
Viooltje-thanks for your visit to my blog. I'll have to remember that hedgehog and slug excuse except we don't have hedgehogs so I'll have to stick with the slug one. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!
we grew raspberries last year from bushes. so i don't know what to tell you. you could always wait and plant them in the spring in the garden and buy something else for the pots.
Marmee-Raspberries? Oooh that sounds yummy too! Since I have 3 pots I will try something different in all of them, I think!
Hey Susie,
I actually would have had to clean before someone could clean. Actually, just pick up, but my hubby always said I had to clean up for the cleaning lady to come, which I don't have anymore by the way. When I cut my hours working, I didn't think I should keep having her, but I'm having second, and third, thoughts about that :)!
Vicki
This sounds like a fun idea! I never tried it before. One year I tried growing sweet 100's in a hanging basket though, and they did pretty well.
Your blog is really nice and I'll be back for sure!
Thanks for visiting mine!
Thanks for visiting my blog Catherine. I bet the hanging basket of strawberries was pretty as well as tasty!
2/24 Susie, are you beginning to feel better? I saw your comment on Miss Sandy's blog that you and your husband had been under the weather. Hope you are on the mend.
Sorry I can't help you I always started my strawberry beds with plants. Although they do spread quickly once started. Love your blog.
Debbie
Just wanted to say hi... Read Mildred's comment--I hope you and your husband are feeling better now.
Now, this is something I can grow! I just keep mine pinched back and they do fine. Turtles love to eat them for breakfast. I planted mine along a pathway. I think I should have opted for a traditional strawberry pot.
I live in central NC and my policy with regard to growing strawberries is benign neglect. They bear fruit all growing season.
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