thegirlwithashovel

Are you looking to plant strawberries this year? Maybe you’ve tried before and for some reason you didn’t get the great harvest you wanted. Or maybe you’re simply new to this and want a few extra tips. Either way, I understand how sometimes we don’t need people telling us how to plant strawberries. Instead, we need to know what you could be doing wrong, and how to avoid it! So here are the 9 things to avoid when planting strawberries. Because by avoiding these things, you are sure to have an amazing harvest!

#1: Avoid Planting Strawberries from Seed

It can be a lot cheaper to plant your strawberries from seed, but if you want to actually harvest strawberries, then you will be better off purchasing bare-root or potted plants. This is because it will take at least 2 years of nurturing your seedling before it will finally give you strawberries. I don’t know about you, but this is a long time when compared to your potted plants producing strawberries in as little as 2 months…

Also, if you use seed from a store-bought strawberry, then you won’t know your strawberry variety. I’ll explain a bit more about why this is important in #4. So go ahead and just pay the extra couple of dollars for an established plant. You will be extremely glad that you did.

#2: Avoid Planting Strawberries in Pots

If pots are your only option, then go for it. However, if you live in a climate that gets below freezing, then any unprotected potted plants will freeze. This means that they will not come back in the winter. Because of this, it is much smarter to plant them in the soil where they have extra protection from the cold. This will ensure that they come back year after year.

If you HAVE to grow in pots, then once temperatures begin to drop and your plant is done producing, place it somewhere it will be protected from extremely cold temperatures. A lot of people choose to place their pots in an unheated garage. Also try to insulate it from the cold using straw, mulch, old blankets, etc. This will keep your strawberries’ roots from freezing and will ensure that they come back the next year.

#3: Avoid Poor Soil

Strawberry plants need a lot of nutrients in the soil in order to maintain high production of strawberries. If you plant in poor soil, then you won’t get as many strawberries. To improve your soil, mix in some compost before planting and consider adding a vegetable fertilizer halfway through the growing season.

#4: Avoid Unknown Varieties

You need to know what type of strawberries you have because it will ultimately determine the size of berry and the size and time of harvest. These are your three main options:

June-bearing Strawberries

These plants produce one large harvest of strawberries (usually in the early spring). Then, they produce runners for the rest of the season. This variety is best if you need a large harvest of strawberries all at once. These strawberries are usually used to make jams, pies, etc.

Ever-bearing Strawberries

These varieties will usually give you two harvests: one in the early spring, and one in the early fall. They can also produce a few strawberries in between these two larger harvests. One downside to ever-bearing, however, is that they don’t produce as many runners because they are busy producing fruit. These varieties are best for people wanting some larger harvests, but also want some continuous fruit throughout the season.

Day-neutral Strawberries

These strawberry varieties are technically in the ever-bearing group, but they produce a more even, continuous supply of strawberries throughout the growing season. These are also a great choice for people who want a lighter, but continuous supply of strawberries.

#5: Avoid Planting Strawberries Too Deep or Too Shallow

These plants are extremely picky when it comes to rooting depth. If you plant it too deep (covering the crown of the plant), then it is likely to rot. On the other hand, if it is planted too shallow, the roots are likely to dry up (and strawberry plants do not like dry roots). I try to plant my strawberries at the depth that they are already growing in their pot.

If you are planting bare-root plants, then find the little skirt where the leaf stems are attached to the base of the plant. This little skirt of plant material is the crown. Plant it at a depth where the soil will cover about half of the crown. Make sure to watch the video below to see the correct depth to plant your bare-root strawberries.

#6: Avoid Planting Too Close Together

Each variety has a specific spacing recommendation. Follow this recommendation. If you place your plants too close together, it decreases the air flow around your plant’s base and lower leaves. This can increase your chances of having a disease problem.

You also want to keep in mind any runners that might develop. If your plants are too close together, then you will need to remove the runners in order to keep your plants from crowding your space.

A little unsure of plant spacing? Check out this awesome video that explains your optimal plant spacing, as well as shows you how to plant your bare-root strawberries at the correct depth!

#7: Avoid Planting Near These…

Avoid growing your strawberries next to any plants in the Brassica family. These include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and kale. These plants will have stunted growth when grown next to each other.

You should also avoid planting your strawberry plants next to tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, melons, mint, or eggplants. These plants are all susceptible to the same diseases as your strawberry plants. So by planting near these other plants, or in a bed that has been growing these plants in the past several years, it will increase your chances of having diseases in your strawberry plants.

For a list of plants that would be good to place near your strawberries, check out Balcony Garden Web’s post, 13 Best Strawberry Companion Plants.

#8: Avoid Letting your Plant Dry Out

Strawberry plants like to stay a bit on the moist side. If your plants get too dry (especially in the hot summer temperatures), then it will stop any fruit production. This is especially harmful to the ever-bearing varieties, as it will stop your harvest. So make sure to keep your plants lightly moist and avoid letting it dry out.

#9: Avoid Letting Fruit Sit on the Ground

Strawberries will hang down to the ground as they get larger and heavier. Because of this, most strawberries end up laying directly on the soil. However, strawberries laying directly on the soil are much more likely to have diseases and pests claim them before you do. So make sure that you lay down something like straw, gravel, or black plastic to keep your strawberries from sitting directly on the soil.

Those are the 9 things to avoid when planting strawberries! Let me know if you have any other questions or comments by leaving them below. And for more awesome tips, subscribe to my email list! Every new subscriber gets a free welcome guide full of expert tips to help you become a master grower! Then make sure that you share this post on your favorite social media channel! You never know how many of your friends are also wanting to enjoy harvesting their own delicious, home-grown strawberries!

Happy Digging!

Do you want to do things right when planting your tomatoes? Do you want to grow lots of large, tasty tomatoes? If you do these 7 things, then you will probably still get a tomato harvest. However, if you don’t do these 7 things when you plant your tomatoes, then your harvest has the potential to be HUGE!!! So, if you want to be the envy of all your gardening friends, then make sure you never do these 7 things…

#1: Never Plant your Tomatoes in the Same Place

Now, I know this is a pretty heated topic that gets tossed around a lot between home gardeners. Some will tell you that rotating your vegetable’s location is a must, while others will say they’ve never rotated their plants and they’ve have had great results for over 20 years. But here’s the deal…

Tomatoes will use different nutrients than other vegetables. They also have specific pests that enjoy eating them. Ideally, you can supplement the nutrients by adding compost and fertilizer year after year. So that problem is solved. And some would say that if you have a small garden, then your pests are going to find your tomatoes eventually.

However, for the new gardener, I would say don’t worry about making a huge spreadsheet tracking plant families and religiously rotating. Instead, if you don’t want to add a lot of nutrients to your soil year after year, then just plant your tomatoes somewhere they haven’t been for a couple of years. So for all of you beginners, NEVER plant your tomatoes in the same place, and your plants will stay healthy!

#2: Never Plant in Cold Soil

Tomato plants like to stay warm. If you plant your tomatoes too early, it will actually stunt your tomato plant’s growth. Don’t plant it until night temperatures are consistently around 50 F (10 C). At this point your soil should be warm enough for your plants.

#3: Never Place at Original Planting Depth

When you plant your tomatoes, cut off any lower branches. Leave the top branches intact (more or less depending on the size of your plant). Then place it low enough in the soil that all of the bare stem is buried. Roots will grow from the exposed stem and will give your plant a much larger and established root system. And more roots will give you a healthier plant, which will in turn give you a bigger, better harvest.

Confused by this step? Watch the YouTube video at the bottom of this post to see it in action!

#4: Never Cut the Edges of your Stem

Some people ‘nick’ the sides of their tomato plant stem before planting it beneath the soil. In theory, this will stimulate more locations of root growth. however, this also opens up more locations for bacteria to enter your plant. This can also severely damage your plant if you aren’t experienced with this method. Because of these two reasons, I suggest that you should never cut your stem. The only marks it should have is the pruning cuts where you removed the lower branches.

#5: Never Wait to Add Support

You should add your support system (tomato cage, poles, trellis, etc.) at the time you are planting. If you wait to install a support system until the plant is large enough to need it, you will most likely damage your plant’s root system during installation. And if you damage the root system, then your harvest will definitely take a hit as well. So don’t wait to add support! Instead, make it a habit to install it when you plant.

#6: Never Plant in an Empty Hole

When you dig a hole for your tomato plant, don’t just refill it with soil and be done with it. Instead, you should fill your hole with things your plant will use over the course of the summer. The most common items added to the bottom of the hole includes egg shells, coffee grounds, worm castings, and small amounts of compost. If you nourish your plants from the start, then they will reward you with a great harvest!

#7: Never Plant Next to These…

There are several types of plants that will fight with your tomatoes. You should never plant your tomatoes next to these:

1. Fennel, Walnut, or Dill – all inhibit growth of tomato plants
2. Corn, Potatoes, Eggplant, or Peppers – all share the same pests and diseases, so grouping causes an increase of pests or diseases
3. The Entire Brassica Family – broccoli, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, turnips, collards, and rutabaga… these guys just don’t get along

So those are the 7 things you should never do when planting tomatoes. I hope this list gave you some ideas of what not to do, as well as some ideas of what you should be doing instead! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

I’ve also included an awesome YouTube video from The Rusted Garden showing exactly how to plant your tomatoes. He also includes a few great tips on how to care for them as they grow, so make sure to hit the play button below!

Happy Digging!

Are you wanting to grow potatoes at home? Do you want a huge, delicious harvest, but aren’t sure how to plant potatoes in a way that will achieve amazing results? No worries. I’ve got you covered! By following these 11 tips, you’ll be sure to have the best harvest possible! So here are the 11 things you should know before planting your potatoes at home…

#1: Do NOT use Store-Bought Potatoes

I know it’s tempting to grab that bag of potatoes out of your cupboard and get planting. However, some of these potatoes have been chemically treated to keep them from sprouting (keeping them good to eat for longer). So to be sure that your potato is going to grow well (and to ensure that it’s disease-free), then make sure you purchase seed potatoes or potato slips to grow your potatoes. Or, as another option, you can also purchase potatoes from your local farmer’s market. These will be chemical-free!

#2: You Don’t Need to Sprout your Potatoes

Sprouting your potatoes before planting isn’t necessary. If you plant your potatoes before they sprout, then they might take a few extra days before emerging from the soil. So, letting them sprout first or not, you’ll get a great potato harvest either way.

#3: You Can Start your Potatoes in Water

If you still choose to sprout your potatoes before planting (no judging here!), then you can place it straight into a sunny window to sprout. However, if you want to start sprouting and rooting your potato, then put it in water! Simply use toothpicks to hold it up in a cup, then fill it with enough water to cover half of the potato. Wait about a week and you should see signs of your potato growing! (Only be sure that if you cut your potato, give it several days to seal the cut before placing it in water.)

#4: Don’t Plant the Entire Potato

If you’re growing large potatoes, then you don’t need to plant the entire potato. Instead, use a sharp, clean knife to cut it into sections that have 2-3 eyes each. (The eyes are the little knots in the potato.) After cutting it, leave the pieces out to dry for 48 hours before planting. This will give you many more plants, so keep this in mind when you are purchasing your seed potatoes!

#5: You NEED Loose Soil

If you have hard, clay soil, then you will need to amend it, or bring in new soil to plant your potatoes. This is because potatoes are specialized roots that grow to store the plant’s nutrients. If your roots have a hard time pushing against hard, compact soil, then your potatoes will also have a hard time growing. This means that in hard soil, your overall harvest will be smaller. This is why it’s essential that you have loose soil.

For tips on how to loosen up any hard soil, watch the video below!

#6: Plant Eyes Up

When placing your potato cuttings in the soil, place them so the eyes (or sprouts) are facing up. This gives your stems a straight shot up and out of the soil. If you place them down, this will make it harder for your potato’s shoots to emerge.

#7: Mound the Plants

When your plant sprouts and grows around 6 inches (15 cm) tall, add more soil around the base of it to cover all but the top leaves. Then once it has grown to be about 6 inches (15 cm) above the soil once more, push up the soil around it again. This is called ‘mounding’. Mounding your potato plants will increase the amount of roots your plant grows, which in turn, will increase the amount of potatoes that your plant produces.

#8: Fertilize with a High P & K Fertilizer

P & K stand for Phosphorous and Potassium (or Potash on your fertilizer label). Make sure that your fertilizer has a good ratio of P and K, but has a lower N value. This will be something like 5-20-12, with a lower 1st number and a higher 2nd and 3rd number. Phosphorous encourages more root growth, while Potassium is good for the overall health of the plant. Do not fertilizer with a high Nitrogen fertilizer, or you might end up with a big, lush potato plants that have very few actual potatoes.

#9: Harvest at the Right Time

The time to harvest your potatoes is around 2-3 weeks after it starts flowering. At this time the plant will also start falling over and looking wilted. Once this starts to happen, you know that your potatoes are ready to harvest!

#10: Soft-skinned Potatoes Don’t Store

If your potato’s skin is soft and can be brushed off with your finger, then you know that the potato hasn’t fully matured. Most likely you will have a harvest where some of them have matured, but some of them haven’t. Make sure that the soft-skinned potatoes don’t go into storage. They will need to be cooked and eaten within the next several days.

#11: Let Dry Before Storing

For all of your hard-skinned potatoes, you will need to let them air-dry in a cool, shaded location for several days. If stored too quickly, your potatoes might rot. Air-drying gets rid of any excess moisture that might still be in the plant.

Those are the 11 things you should know before planting potatoes at home! I wish you the best of luck and a happy harvest! And make sure you share this post with your other gardening friends.

Not sure where to plant your potatoes? Find out your potato plant’s light requirements in my post How Much Sun do my Plants Need?!

Happy Digging!