There is no greater way to feel connected to the earth than taking a bite out of fruits or veggies plucked right from the vine in your own garden, and this rings especially true with strawberries! Ripened to perfection and warm from the sun, their sweet, juicy flavor is just undeniable. Growing a strawberry plant is surprisingly simple, as long as it receives the proper care. If you’ve never tried to grow or care for one of these fruit-producing plants before, no worries—this beginner’s guide was made just for you.
Can You Grow Strawberries in North Dakota?
We often hear this question at the garden center, and the answer is a resounding, yes! Yes, yes, yes, you can! With that said, there is a bit of a caveat. Typically, rainfall in North Dakota will not yield the highest production of strawberries. But, with the proper care and some form of irrigation, you’ll be well on your way to picking a bountiful harvest from your strawberry plant.
Where is the Best Place to Plant Strawberries?
The first step to caring for your strawberry plant is, well, planting it! The ideal time to plant strawberries is in early spring, but if you’re reading this a little later in the year, it’s all good. They can go in the ground until about late summer (mid-August), so long as there is enough soil moisture for them to become established before winter sets in.
In addition to planting straight in the ground or raised beds, you can actually grow strawberries in pots, hanging baskets, and grow bags if your space is limited. Wherever you plant your strawberries, though, make sure they will be able to get lots of sun! Most berry plants need full sun to truly thrive, and strawberries are no exception; they should get at least 8 hours of full exposure per day. They also prefer moist, well-draining soil.
How Do You Take Care of Strawberry Plants?
Most strawberry plants send out runners, which look like vines with a baby plant on the end of them (like a spider plant). The purpose of these runners is to help them grow outward. While these will root and grow more strawberry plants, we recommend only keeping three runners per plant if you care to maximize your yield. The rest can be pruned back. Like much else in your garden, strawberry plant care also requires staying on top of weeding by removing dead leaves as they come up.
Strawberries need slightly acidic soil to truly thrive, so if you don’t know the pH balance of your soil, we would recommend picking up an at-home soil testing kit to find out, and then you can purchase the proper soil amendments if needed. The berries also do best when a layer of straw is placed underneath them; this way they are not sitting on the soil and rotting.
As mentioned earlier, watering is essential when it comes to strawberry plant care. Be sure to check your soil at least once a week and water if the top inch is dry. Drip irrigation can work well as it will keep the fruit and the leaves dry (which helps reduce disease outbreaks) and requires a little less elbow grease from you.
Harvesting Your Strawberry Plant
You can tell that your strawberries are ready to harvest by the color and the feel. Test a couple to get that warm-and-picked-straight-from-the-vine vibe on a hot afternoon, but otherwise, you’ll actually want to take care to harvest your strawberry plant in the morning. If they are picked while slightly cool and then put right in the refrigerator, they’re likely to last a little longer.
Whether you grow strawberries to eat fresh or turn them into tasty treats like jams, pies, or pancake toppings—they’re one of the best fruits to grow at home! If you’re on the hunt for strawberry plants for sale in Bismarck, stop by the garden center, we have plenty of varieties to choose from.