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Almost everyone loves strawberries.  They taste delicious and are easy to grow.  Strawberries are commonly planted in February in this area.  However, there are some varieties that actually do better and produce more strawberries if planted in October.

Global natives.  Strawberries are native to the Americas, central Europe, and the Himalayas.  The strawberries we have in this country are generally the result of the hybridization of two species native to the Americas.  Fragaria chiloensis is found along the Pacific coast from Alaska, along the beaches of Chile to the Andean highlands.  Fragaria virginiana is native to meadows throughout central and eastern North America from Ontario to Louisiana.  Wild strawberries are actually considered a weed in those areas.

Types of strawberries. There are two general types of strawberries.  Junebearing strawberries bloom in response to short day-lengths, are planted in late fall, and product fruit the spring after planting.  Everbearing strawberries bloom in response to long day conditions and produce fruit two or more times a season.  Everbearing strawberries are planted in February in this part of Texas.  The hot summers tend to be very stressful on everbearing strawberries and they tend to produce a small amount of small strawberries.

Junebearing strawberries, in contrast, do very well in this part of Texas.  When planted in October, they may actually produce fruit from February to June, depending on how temperate the weather is that year.  Twenty-five plants will usually product enough strawberries for an average size family.  Conveniently enough, strawberry crowns are usually sold in groups of twenty or twenty-five plants.

Best spots to grow.  Strawberries grow best in full sun.  They like loose, fertile soil with lots of organic matter in it.  You should work lots of compost into their beds before planting.  They do not like to be wet for long periods of time.  This means you should make sure that the strawberry bed has good drainage.  If you do not have a sight with good drainage, you will need to grow your strawberries in a raised bed.  Avoid planting strawberries in places you have grown potatoes, tomatoes, or a lawn recently as they share diseases and insect pests with these plants.

Buying strawberries.  When you buy your strawberries, you will be given plants that are dormant.  These plants typically consist of a leaves, which are probably brown and dead, the crown, and the roots.  When planting, make sure you cover the roots and only half the crown.  Make a trench deep enough to set the roots vertically.  Don’t bend the roots horizontally, as the plants won’t grow well that way.

Give them room.  June bearing plants need lots of room to spread out.  Plant them 12 to 24 inches apart.  Space your rows 36 to 40 inches apart.  The first year, pinch off runners so the plants concentrate on growing and making strawberries.  For the second year, allow the runners to grow into mature plants.  The third year, remove the original plants and allow the runners to produce strawberries.  June bearing strawberry plants don’t produce as much after the third year, and usually stop producing all together by the fourth year.  This cultivation method avoids this problem.

When to plant.  Planting in October lets the strawberry plants become established before the frosts of winter.  In order to survive these frosts, you need to mulch the strawberries two to four inches when planting.  When it is supposed to be freezing or below, cover the plants with hay to a depth of about two inches.  On nice days, remove the hay to allow the plants to grow.  Follow this pattern through out the winter. In late January, fertilize the plants.  Strawberry flower buds are sensitive to frost, so be sure and protect them anytime a frost is predicted.  Otherwise, remove the hay and leave it on each side of the plants as additional mulch.  You will need to fertilize according to your soil test.  Follow this January fertilization with another in mid-June, when the plants stop producing strawberries, and one in late September, before the fall starts.  Cull old plants right after the plants stop producing, in mid-June, before you fertilize.  Strawberries need the same amount of water once they are established as other plants – one inch a week.

If you plant your Junebearing plants in October, protect them from frost throughout the winter and early spring, and give them some tender loving care, you should have all the strawberries you can eat in the spring and early summer.

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