I am really sweet on strawberries this year. I’ve been tucking them in practically all of my pots and enjoying the tasty rewards for over a month now. Which has led to a problem of abundance. What do I do with the one or two plants left in a six pack that I have no room for in my larger pots?
I found this basket at the dollar store. By lining it with moss and filling the basket with potting soil (and fertilizer!), it has become a great strawberry pot for less than $5. I’ve snuck in several of these small pots around my larger pots to fulfill my need for more strawberries!
Strawberries prefer a well drained soil, high in organic matter. They need full sun (at least 6 hours per day) for the best results. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (like 5-5-5) once at the beginning of the season, and again after each crop is produced. Don’t over fertilize, as that will cause your plants to produce too many leaves and not enough fruit. Keep plants well watered
Some things to know about Strawberries
- There are three main kinds of strawberries: June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral. June-bearing produce one large crop in early summer, ever-bearing strawberries produce three crops (one in spring, one in summer, and one in fall), while day-neutral strawberries produce fruit throughout the growing season, with the biggest crops in mid to late summer.
- June bearing strawberries are usually better suited to the warmer climates, while ever-bearing and day-neautral strawberries do well in cooler climates.
- Alpine strawberries are the only sort that are worth trying to grow from seed. They’re day-neutral and produce tiny, sweet, delicious strawberries.
- You can treat strawberries as an annual and replace them every year, or as a short lived perennial (they usually will only produce reliable crops for about three years).
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How big is a pencil eraser? Are you talking about the eraser at the back of a pencil? If so, my alpine strawberries are a lot bigger than that, though still small compared to garden strawberries.
Interesting. The Alpine strawberries I have seen have all been pretty small, like a little bigger than a pencil eraser, smaller than a dime.
I LOVE this idea!
Could hang a chain horozontally, and use S-hooks to hang those lovely baskets in a row. Sweet!
Cute idea! I like how you think Alice!
Great article,good information.Can I grow them in a Selfwatering hanging container or would it be too moist for them? Do they need to dry out between waterings? I’m in ZN 10 Fla.Thanks for the help:)
Super idea, very creative! Yummy for the strawberries. You can never have too many plants!
Cute idea! I actually just started growing alpine strawberries from seed this season, after I gave up a battle with aphids on my other strawberry plant. So excited for alpine berries!
Very cute and colorful baskets… I ahve 2 plants of Alpine Strawberries on my balcony and they smell so good, like vanilla and they are just delicious!
Ciao.
I just recently found out that “container gardening” exists, and I’m very intrigued. I love the idea of these Alpine Strawberries–I’ll have to check them out! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I love this idea. I was trying to think of a way to use baskets and if I could use baskets. I think this is going to be a great study with the kids for home school and fun to do.
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