How to Grow Strawberries

How to Grow StrawberriesIn addition to the traditional strawberry patch, there are as many ways to grow strawberries as there are to eat them! Grow strawberries in a bed, hydroponically, as a ground cover, as an ornamental patio plant, or in a hanging basket. Strawberry CategoriesAn important part of knowing how to grow strawberries is understanding how different types of strawberries grow. Strawberry cultivars are placed in one of three categories.?June bearing strawberries produce a large, voluptuous crop of berries in late spring. Mother plants send out runners (daughters) that root and develop into matted rows. The disadvantage to June bearing strawberries is 1) they only bear fruit once a year and 2) the first year you need to pluck all blossoms from your plants to let them become firmly established.

?Ever bearing strawberries really aren't "ever" bearing, but do produce a harvest twice a year, once in spring and again in autumn. During the first year, pluck all blossoms from ever-bearing cultivars through the end of June. After that, they will blossom again and set fruit for a fall harvest.?Day neutral strawberries frequently produce a crop of small, but very sweet berries throughout most of the growing season. After plucking off the first set of blossoms allow the fruit to set and you'll have strawberries throughout the summer!The Versatile Alpine StrawberryThe Alpine Strawberry is a cousin of the wild strawberry and is very much at home lining a path or walk way. In fact, the only strawberry that is regularly started from seed, the Alpine strawberry is a day neutral cultivar that makes an excellent ground cover with headily fragrant blossoms and very tasty red or white strawberries.

The Alpine Strawberry reseeds profusely from its own strawberry seeds and bears fruit throughout the growing season. Buying Strawberries for TransplantingThe best time to purchase strawberry plants is autumn. Find end of season plants at dirt-cheap prices or order new plants for spring delivery. In addition, your nursery may offer wholesale strawberry plants packed in bundles containing as few as 25 plants. Nurseries have limited space and often take orders for wholesale plants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frequently, their stock is depleted long before spring. Most strawberry cultivars over-winter if kept cool in a root cellar, unheated garage, or basement. For extra protection, cover roots with sand, wood shavings or soil. Ordering or purchasing strawberry plants in the fall ensures that you'll have them for spring planting! Thirty plants provide enough strawberries for a family of four. Select your plants carefully and purchase only virus-tested transplants.

Site SelectionPlant strawberries in the sunniest spot you can find. Although you can get a harvestable crop with as little as six hours of direct sunlight per day, the largest harvests and best quality berries come from those plants that get the advantage of full sun.The shallow rooted strawberry plant is poor competition for weeds, shrubs, trees, or other plants. Till a garden bed in the fall to eliminate a lot of the weeds that cause problems during the growing season. Choose a spot away from large trees, which may send roots into your strawberry bed. Also, be sure to locate your strawberry bed away from any spot where you have grown peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes.

These plants can harbor verticillium wilt, which is devastating to strawberries. Although strawberries won't thrive in saturated ground, they do need a moist environment. Amend soil with a good supply of nutrient rich organic matter to both improve aeration, drainage, and increase moisture-holding capacity. In the spring, as soon as the frost is out of the ground and the soil is workable, till your bed again. Now you are ready to "set" your strawberry plants.

The second and third part of this howto on strawberries is available on our site.

Linda is an author of Gardening Tips Tricks and Howto's  of Gardening Guides and the Lawn Care section of the Lawnmower Guide.


Virgil's Fine Soaps Helps the Hurricane's Sick and Homeless Pets with Animal Lover's Soaps and Gift Baskets

Troy, OH (ContentDesk) (ContentDesk) September 28, 2005 -- Touched by the long term needs of pets and farm animals affected by the hurricanes, Virgil's Fine Soaps announces plans to dedicate a percentage of every online sale of their Animal Lover's Soaps and gift baskets to charity.Developed to pay homage to Virgil's love for animals of every shape and size, Animal Lover's soaps and gift baskets are a natural way for the company to help their furry friends. "We plan on sending monthly donations to The North Shore Animal League. We have adopted from them before and we know that they are on the ground right now, helping sick and homeless pets." Katie Schroeder, Virgil's Vice President (and Soap Queen) says. "We'll donate through 2005, and, if response is good, we'll look into extending it."For Virgil's Fine Soaps, their contribution is really about awareness and support. "We really want to remind people that there are thousands of homeless pets and sick farm animals down there needing...

Virgil's Fine Soaps Helps the Hurricane's Sick and Homeless Pets with Animal Lover's Soaps and Gift Baskets
Fruit baskets > Virgil's Fine Soaps Helps the Hurricane's Sick and Homeless Pets with Animal Lover's Soaps and Gift Baskets

The History of Coffee

The History of Coffee Coffee was discovered in Eastern Africa in an area known as Ethiopia. A popular legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi. One day he noticed his goats acting frisky after eating berries from a bush. Kaldi tried the berries. He found he had renewed energy.

The news of this amazing fruit spread throughout the region. Monks started drying the berries to transport to distant monasteries. They reconstituted the berries by soaking them in water. They would eat the fruit and drink the liquid to provide stimulation for a more awakened prayer time. The berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian peninsula and were first cultivated in Yemen.

Then coffee travelled to Turkey where beans were roasted for the first time over fires. The beans were crushed and boiled in water, creating a crude version of the coffee of today.
Coffee arrived on the European continent through Venetian trade merchants. The catholics were totally against drinking coffee....

The History of Coffee
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Five Low Fat Holiday Party Appetizers

Holiday foods are about different kinds of flavors that satisfyyour taste buds. Here are some food picks - healthy, low fat, all easy to make:1. Marmalade, apple butter, or whole fruit preserves served on low fat crackers with slices of gourmet cheese. (Be sure to read the back of the packages of cheese andcrackers, look for low-fat options.)2. Pears and low fat cheddar cheese.

The sweet, tang of the fruit with the sharp taste of the cheese is a mixture that will please any palette. When serving, allow guests to slicetheir own fruit -- this will keep the fruit from turning brown.3. Ham and turkey are both low fat meats if you choose lean varieties. Here are a few special ways to serve them depending on the level of sophistication of your guests:- For kids: serve the meat in bite-sized chunks, also offer grapes and chunks of low fat cheese... let your guests pick up these healthy nuggets with toothpicks.- For the older crowd: Buy deli slices of ham, turkey, and cheese.

Roll...

Five Low Fat Holiday Party Appetizers
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