The Strawberry

One of the most sought after and delicious foods in the world – the strawberry - can be successfully grown in the Austin area. And luckily for us, they are quite easy to grow. You have two types to choose from: the junebearer and the everbearer.

Junebearer strawberries are usually planted in the fall and winter, and produce fruit throughout the spring.  As the days lengthen, they will send out runners (stolons) that will produce new plants. These will begin to flower when the days get short again.

Everbearing strawberries bloom more in the summer when the days are long. Our summers are usually a little too hot for great success with this type of berry.

First important tip:
Strawberries must have well-drained soil. A good garden mixture would include about 50% sand mixed with rich compost and topsoil.

Also you can grow your berries in containers such as hanging baskets and strawberry pots. When growing strawberries in pots, use a good soil-less potting mix such as Metro, Sunshine or Miracle –Gro. These will provide nutrients and drainage, so you wont have to mix amendments into the soil.

The second important tip:
Mulching. If you mulch around the plants, you will keep those roots warm in the winter and cooler in the summer.