Plant of the Week

by
David Rodriguez

The right time to plant strawberries is September– NOT in the spring or after the Poteet Strawberry Festival in April. Gardeners who procrastinate until late November reduce yield potential. Poteet strawberry producers use an 8-month system — plant in September, harvest in April, and destroy the plants in June. This system differs from the conventional strawberry production system used by our northern neighbors who plant in February and enjoys the best harvest 14 months later in April or May. Again, that term “efficiency” pops up. Which is more efficient, the 8-month or the 14-month system, especially when yields are the same?
None of the strawberry varieties which you see in mail order catalogs will perform as well as the plants which are sold in local nurseries in September. Just be sure to remove all blooms and runners that are produced in the fall until Christmas so that strong “Mother” plant growth is encouraged.

For more information about strawberries and how to grow them, please visit this link at http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/sept_02/1.htm and http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/hillcountry/Strawberries/intro.html

Remember, Learn and Have Fun!

David Rodriguez is County Extension Agent-Horticulture, Bexar County. For more information, call the Master Gardener ‘Hotline’ at (210) 467-6575 or visit our County Extension website at http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu, click under Horticulture and Gardening.