Entry #2 Strawberries

       Have you ever tried to grow your own food? Me either, until now. Gardening has been something I have always wanted to do. And after a lifetime of excuses and reasons of why I still hadn't done it, my amazing boyfriend bought me a strawberry plant. It's beautiful. I'm sure that most of you have all seen and tasted a strawberry before, but have you seen what the plant looks like? Here is mine. There are many different types of strawberry plants. Mine has red flowers but as I continue to do research most of the flowers are usually white. In this blog I'll be discussing the process of properly caring and growing strawberries.

    First lets start with planting. Be sure that you take care to plant at the right depth. DO NOT bury the CROWN. This is where leaves, flowers, and fruit arise. Although my plant is in a pot, these things are good to know. Especially since I plan on transferring my plant to the ground maybe after its first cycle in the fall.

Second, you must then understand a strawberries life cycle. Strawberries are perennials. Meaning that they die back during the winter and start growing again in the spring. Strawberries need at least 8 hours of sunshine each day and they prefer slightly more acidic soil.  Since I am growing out of a pot I do not need to check the pH level of my outdoor soil. Water them well. Any type of mulch 

(leaves, bark, compost) will keep the soil moist and the plant clean. Fertilize and look for blooming in late spring. The flowers must be fertilized by bees and other pollinating insects before they can set fruit. In sunny warm weather, berries ripen at about 30 days after fertilization. This is what the flower to berry process looks like.

     Finally, pick strawberries in the morning, when the fruits are cool and immediately cool in your refrigerator. Enjoy! I'm excited to see where my gardening adventures take me! Hopefully soon I'll have a full vegetable/fruit and herb garden and a bunch of juicy, ripe strawberries.

  Have you ever grown anything before? Did it go well? Any tips for a gardening beginner?