#10 Amend Your Soil

You should add ingredients like peat moss and compost to your soil before planting. This will fertilize the soil and also provide it with the appropriate texture for successful growth.

#11 Improve Your pH

Strawberries can be grown just about anywhere, but for the healthiest plants, you will need soil that is somewhat acidic. Ideally, your pH should be between 5.8 to 6.2 (although a range between 5.0 and 7.0 is also effective). Test your soil before planting and amend with lime or manure if necessary.

#12 Don’t Stress if You Can’t Plant ASAP

The best time to plant your strawberries is in the early spring, ideally in March or April – but don’t stress if you can’t get them in the ground that soon. Strawberries can also be planted in the summer or fall as long as you provide plenty of water. What’s more important is that you plant on a cloudy or overcast day.

#13 Don’t Plant Too Shallow

Dig a hole that’s approximately three inches deep. Make sure it’s wide enough so that the roots can spread out in a circle. Mound the soil up in the center of the hole before backfilling and watering well.

#14 Make Sure You Mulch

Strawberries love being grown in the mulch. Mulch can also keep the soil around your plants cool, which is essential as summer continues to heat up. Mulch also keeps plants from touching the ground directly, where they can occasionally fall victim to various pathogens and insects. Straw mulch isn’t your only option. You can also use shredded leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, or other kinds of mulch, too.

#15 Protect Your Harvest From Hungry Birds

Birds love strawberries just as much as you do! To protect your berries from the birds, consider placing some protective netting or row covers on your bed of strawberries.

#16 Preserve Your Extra Strawberries

If you’re growing June-bearing varieties of strawberries, you will want to make the most of your harvest by preserving them! Strawberries can be jammed, jellied, frozen, dried, or saved in any other form.