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Strawberries Not Blooming |
| By Ellen Brown |
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Question: My strawberry patch won't bloom very much this year. It is well established. Should I cut off the runners?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
WesternGal from Western South Dakota
Answer: Westerngal,
If your patch is well-established, you usually want to encourage the strawberries to send out runners. There are a couple of things that could be going on here. Do the plants look healthy otherwise? Check for insects first. If this isn't the problem, then it's possible that your bed needs to be invigorated or that your soil is lacking phosphate. You didn't mention whether or not you use any type of fertilizer or whether or not you renovate (mow) your beds in the fall. Within a week or so of the last harvest in the fall, the beds should be mowed down (not so that you hurt the crowns). Then you can apply some well-rotted manure or super-phosphate to the patch. If this doesn't bring your strawberry patch back to life next spring, it's probably time to replant. If you're growing Junebearing strawberries, avoid fertilizing them in the spring. This can lead to dense foliage and inhibit flowering.
How was your weather this spring? Late spring frosts and cooler than normal temperatures can also damage flowering. Other problems specific to growing strawberries in South Dakota include soils with a high pH level and soil or irrigation containing high levels of salts. Both of these problems can be diagnosed with a soil test.
Ellen
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About The Author: Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com |
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Request: Everbearing Strawberries Only Blooming Once
Q: I have everbearing strawberries yet they only bloom once. I thought they are supposed to bloom twice a year. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong with them.
Any advice?
Joyce Wis
A: Joyce,
You should definitely see two crops per season with everbearing strawberries-one in the spring and a second, smaller crop in the fall. You should expect about 1 quart of berries per plant per year starting midsummer. You need to manage your strawberries to get maximum yields; otherwise they will simply grow thick and choke themselves out. This includes removing the flowers of new plantings once a week for the first three months to establish good root growth, removing runners every few days and making sure they have a consistent supply of water. Strawberries do best when planted in full sun in soil that is well drained and high in organic matter. They prefer a soil pH of 5.5-6.5. Because most of the plant's roots are located in the top three inches of the soil, care needs to be taken to properly prepare beds with the right nutrients before planting. High temperatures during the mid part of summer can also sometimes seriously reduce the yields of everbearing varieties. Generally, strawberry plants will reach their peak yields during the second season and may produce a successful crop the third year. After that, they tend to peter out.
Ellen
RE: Everbearing Strawberries Only Blooming Once
Do you know the name of your strawberries? Maybe you have a Junebearing strawberry, not an everbearing. I have both kinds and find that without fail the everbearing ALWAYS bears twice. Whereas, the Junebearing is done in mid July, just overlapping the start of the raspberries. I'd check with the company or person you got the plants from as to the name of the strawberries.
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