Strawberry plants take little care once established, and can produce baskets of berries for years.
Gardeners in hot, humid regions can grow Titan, which resists leaf scorch.
Gardeners seeking ever-bearing strawberries can plant Hecker in the north or Tristar in the south.
If the soil pH is above 6.0, acidify it naturally with compost and leaf mold.
If the soil is below 5.0, add limestone to raise the pH.
Choose an area of the garden with full sun and good air circulation to reduce disease problems.
Wide rows allow strawberry plants room to develop new runners.
The fertilizing regimen for strawberries centers on whether the plants are June-bearing or ever-bearing.
Therefore, feed ever-bearing strawberries throughout the growing season, but fertilize June-bearing strawberries in August.
Gardeners can fertilize plants with a side dressing of dried blood meal, rock potash, and bone meal.
At the end of the season, the strawberry plants will send out new plantlets on runners.
In this way, the strawberry patch is self-perpetuating.
Remove nonproductive plants at the end of each growing season, and allow the runners to replenish the garden.
Place beer traps around plants or sprinkle diatomaceous earth to kill slugs.
Attract beneficial insects that have an appetite for aphids with nectar-rich flowers, like sweet alyssum.
Spider mites are most problematic in hot, dusty regions, so regular irrigation discourages them.
Use bird netting draped over jar-topped stakes to deny birds the first berry harvest.
