June-bearing and everbearing. Plant varieties of each to extend your harvest. Strawberries are usually sold in bunches of twenty-five, and one or two bunches is enough if you are starting a bed.
Plant as early as you can and only use dormant plants. Soak roots in water as your make a furrow in the row where the strawberries will be planted. Plant in rows 4 feet apart. Trim roots so they are 4 to 5 inches long. Put some soil at the bottom of the row in order to make a mound in the center. Carefully place the trimmed roots over the mound of soil and then add soil on top of the roots. Be sure the base of the crown is just at the soil surface. Firm the soil around the plant and water well.
Mulch and fertilize your strawberries. During the first season, do not allow your plants to produce fruit; pinch off all the blossoms. This will allow the plants to put their energy into developing runners. Be sure to protect your strawberries in the winter. A 6-inch layer of straw over the plants will help insulate them from the freezing and thawing cycles.
Grapes
Green grapes are nice for straight eating, but don’t do well in many areas of the country. Purple grapes are better for preserves and juice, and seem to thrive in all zones. Grapes should be planted in an area that gets full exposure to the sun. Grapes love well-drained, fertile soil. Remember, as you plan where to plant your grapes, they will need to be supported by a trellis or even fencing.
Grapevines can be planted in the spring as soon as the soil dries out enough to be worked. Prepare a small hole and set the plants to the same level as in the pot in which you purchased them. Clip the top off the vine, leaving only two buds near the soil line. Plant the grapes at least 8 to 10 feet apart. Mulch them to help keep the roots moist.
Bramble Berries—Red and Black Raspberries and Blackberries
Brambles prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. Berries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2. Avoid low areas that remain wet late into the spring. However, you should ensure that the plants receive plenty of water during dry periods.
You should also be aware of what was planted prior to putting in the brambles. Certain vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants carry a fungus called Verticillium . This fungus lives in the soil for fourto six years and attacks plants from their roots. Brambles are highly susceptible to Verticillium .
You will want to plant your brambles in the early spring, but wait until any danger of frost has passed. When you are planting the individual canes, be sure to keep them moist during the process. Dig a small hole; it should be large enough for the roots to spread out, but not so large that the plants would be set deeper than they were in the nursery.
The ancient Greeks utilized blackberries as a remedy for gout, and the flowers and fruit were also used to treat venomous bites. Eating the berry was known to stop looseness of the bowels, and the young shoots, combined with a little alum, were eaten in a salad to fasten loose teeth.
Make sure the soil around both the roots and the plant is firm. Then generously water each plant.
Blueberries contain significant quantities of both antibacterial and antiviral compounds, and have a reputation in northern Europe of fighting infections. They may also help protect against heart disease.
Blueberries
Blueberries prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy soils rich in organic matter with a soil pH of 4 to 4.5. When planting, dig a hole 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Mix equal amounts of peat moss with top soil and pour into the hole until it is filled 4 inches from the top. Set the plant and cover the roots with the remaining peat–soil mix.
Space plants 5 feet apart in rows 10 feet apart. Apply 4 inches of sawdust or wood-chip mulch in a 2-foot-wide band after planting. Beginning the next year, maintain a 4-inch mulch depth in
Plant as early as you can and only use dormant plants. Soak roots in water as your make a furrow in the row where the strawberries will be planted. Plant in rows 4 feet apart. Trim roots so they are 4 to 5 inches long. Put some soil at the bottom of the row in order to make a mound in the center. Carefully place the trimmed roots over the mound of soil and then add soil on top of the roots. Be sure the base of the crown is just at the soil surface. Firm the soil around the plant and water well.
Mulch and fertilize your strawberries. During the first season, do not allow your plants to produce fruit; pinch off all the blossoms. This will allow the plants to put their energy into developing runners. Be sure to protect your strawberries in the winter. A 6-inch layer of straw over the plants will help insulate them from the freezing and thawing cycles.
Grapes
Green grapes are nice for straight eating, but don’t do well in many areas of the country. Purple grapes are better for preserves and juice, and seem to thrive in all zones. Grapes should be planted in an area that gets full exposure to the sun. Grapes love well-drained, fertile soil. Remember, as you plan where to plant your grapes, they will need to be supported by a trellis or even fencing.
Grapevines can be planted in the spring as soon as the soil dries out enough to be worked. Prepare a small hole and set the plants to the same level as in the pot in which you purchased them. Clip the top off the vine, leaving only two buds near the soil line. Plant the grapes at least 8 to 10 feet apart. Mulch them to help keep the roots moist.
Bramble Berries—Red and Black Raspberries and Blackberries
Brambles prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. Berries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2. Avoid low areas that remain wet late into the spring. However, you should ensure that the plants receive plenty of water during dry periods.
You should also be aware of what was planted prior to putting in the brambles. Certain vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants carry a fungus called Verticillium . This fungus lives in the soil for fourto six years and attacks plants from their roots. Brambles are highly susceptible to Verticillium .
You will want to plant your brambles in the early spring, but wait until any danger of frost has passed. When you are planting the individual canes, be sure to keep them moist during the process. Dig a small hole; it should be large enough for the roots to spread out, but not so large that the plants would be set deeper than they were in the nursery.
The ancient Greeks utilized blackberries as a remedy for gout, and the flowers and fruit were also used to treat venomous bites. Eating the berry was known to stop looseness of the bowels, and the young shoots, combined with a little alum, were eaten in a salad to fasten loose teeth.
Make sure the soil around both the roots and the plant is firm. Then generously water each plant.
Blueberries contain significant quantities of both antibacterial and antiviral compounds, and have a reputation in northern Europe of fighting infections. They may also help protect against heart disease.
Blueberries
Blueberries prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy soils rich in organic matter with a soil pH of 4 to 4.5. When planting, dig a hole 18 inches deep and 18 inches wide. Mix equal amounts of peat moss with top soil and pour into the hole until it is filled 4 inches from the top. Set the plant and cover the roots with the remaining peat–soil mix.
Space plants 5 feet apart in rows 10 feet apart. Apply 4 inches of sawdust or wood-chip mulch in a 2-foot-wide band after planting. Beginning the next year, maintain a 4-inch mulch depth in
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