Strawberry help for a newbie!

Ok folks, I need a little help here. As three out of four of my family members like strawberries (my 10 year old doesn't like them, we are getting him checked out medically soon!!!!!), we decided we are going to plant 4 squares of strawberries this year.

However, as I am a first time SFG initiate, I need some information. I have been told to clip the runners of the four plants per square to promote a solid mother plant, and a good harvest. I have also been told that I shouldn't expect much of a harvest the first year. Is that true? What is meant by a good harvest for a first year transplant purchased from a nursery?

Can anyone make a recommendation for which kind of strawberries I should plant? I am in a 6b zone down here and am 17 days from the average last frost of the year.

Any information would be highly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi there,

I'm a 6b in Oklahoma too. Our local extension has a great fact sheet on growing strawberries in the home garden with a list of varieties that do well in this area:

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1031/HLA-6214web.pdf

This year I am splitting a 4 x 4 bed between Surecrop and Ozark Beauty--I haven't grown either in the past but they are both disease resistant varieties and looked nice and healthy at the nursery. One is Junebearing and the other Everbearing to help stagger the harvest a little.

If you are planting 4 per square foot, I would clip the runners off. I am spacing mine out a bit more and will allow some to root. It is generally recommended to pinch all the blossoms off Junebearing plants the first year and until July for the Everbearing, but not everyone does. In theory it allows your plants to become established and results in better crops in subsequent years, but some have allowed first year plants to fruit and reported little impact. So really it is up to you--I will pick the blossoms from mine this year and maybe have a few berries from the Ozark Beauty towards the fall.

Good luck!