oThe answer depends on where you live and what stage the plants are in. I have grown strawberries in the west near the coast where it does get hot in the summer and freezes in the winter but not for long.
Spring:
Assuming you just bought the strawberries from the store, The best kind to purchase are the small ones that are not clumped together. Break apart the clumps and plant them in good dirt and water them. As they grow, stop the plant from shooting out to too many spouts from each plant, as they slows down the production of berries. Pick berries as they turn red, at one time we had a lot of bushes and I picked about a gallon twice a week. If you have kids have them help you it is fun to find the berries hidden under the leaves. Be sure to wash berries before eating them. Also don't plant berries close to the house as ants get into them and if they are too close to the house you get berries into every part of the house.
If the plants seem to stop producing berries they can be split up so they will produce more berries depending how long your spring and summer are in your location. You start by removing dead leaves around the plant, then holding up the top leaves cut off all the dead(brown) branches that the berries have stopped growing. If you plants have built up and formed a large clump you can take them out of the ground and split up the roots. They look something like bunched up brown carrots. Otherwise leave the plants in the ground and take away the dead stuff so it can grow again. I have done this mid summer or in the fall.
Fall,
Depending how cold your location is you can leave the plants in the ground or take them out and store them in a shed and then replant in the spring, Make sure that have some water before you put them away.
Also if you can not each all the berries when they are ripe all summer. Berries can be frozen and then used later when you are ready to each them. They do get very soft once they are frozen. You can pack them in recloseable bags, they will leak when you thaw them from the freezer, we leave them in a cake pan in the sink overnight. The other way to store them is in a plastic bottle, we use recycled spaghetti sauce bottles.
Good luck, we eat most of the strawberries and freeze some and make jam later in the year.
MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE WEEDS AND GRASS OUT OF THE STRAWBERRY PATCH AND IN THE WINTER TIME COVER WITH STRAW AND PLASTIC SHEETS. JUST REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE STRAW AND SHEETS IN THE SPRING. MY FATHER DID THIS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAD SOME OF THE FINEST STRAWBERRIES I'VE EVER SEEN OR EATEN.
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oThe answer depends on where you live and what stage the plants are in. I have grown strawberries in the west near the coast where it does get hot in the summer and freezes in the winter but not for long.
Spring:
Assuming you just bought the strawberries from the store, The best kind to purchase are the small ones that are not clumped together. Break apart the clumps and plant them in good dirt and water them. As they grow, stop the plant from shooting out to too many spouts from each plant, as they slows down the production of berries. Pick berries as they turn red, at one time we had a lot of bushes and I picked about a gallon twice a week. If you have kids have them help you it is fun to find the berries hidden under the leaves. Be sure to wash berries before eating them. Also don't plant berries close to the house as ants get into them and if they are too close to the house you get berries into every part of the house.
If the plants seem to stop producing berries they can be split up so they will produce more berries depending how long your spring and summer are in your location. You start by removing dead leaves around the plant, then holding up the top leaves cut off all the dead(brown) branches that the berries have stopped growing. If you plants have built up and formed a large clump you can take them out of the ground and split up the roots. They look something like bunched up brown carrots. Otherwise leave the plants in the ground and take away the dead stuff so it can grow again. I have done this mid summer or in the fall.
Fall,
Depending how cold your location is you can leave the plants in the ground or take them out and store them in a shed and then replant in the spring, Make sure that have some water before you put them away.
Also if you can not each all the berries when they are ripe all summer. Berries can be frozen and then used later when you are ready to each them. They do get very soft once they are frozen. You can pack them in recloseable bags, they will leak when you thaw them from the freezer, we leave them in a cake pan in the sink overnight. The other way to store them is in a plastic bottle, we use recycled spaghetti sauce bottles.
Good luck, we eat most of the strawberries and freeze some and make jam later in the year.
Janet Edwards
MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE WEEDS AND GRASS OUT OF THE STRAWBERRY PATCH AND IN THE WINTER TIME COVER WITH STRAW AND PLASTIC SHEETS. JUST REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE STRAW AND SHEETS IN THE SPRING. MY FATHER DID THIS FOR MANY YEARS AND HAD SOME OF THE FINEST STRAWBERRIES I'VE EVER SEEN OR EATEN.