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Flickr / sigusr0Fertilizing the plants

It is important to get your soil analyzed by your county MSU Extension, but in the absence of a soil test, apply one pound of 12-12-12 fertilizer per 100 square feet one week before planting. Two weeks later sprinkle an additional two to three pounds of the 12-12-12 as a side dressing, making sure not to get it on the damp foliage.

The fertilization strategy changes after the first year. Fertilize the June-bearing plants immediately after harvest with 2 to 3 pounds of 12-12-12 per 100 square feet and avoid early spring fertilization because it can cause the plants to grow too fast and produce soft berries and a smaller yield.

Everbearing strawberries are fertilized the same as June-bearing plants in the planting year. During the subsequent years, the everbearing plants should be fertilized with 1/2 pound of 12-12-12 per 100 square feet, with applications made in early June, July, August and September. In total, about the same amount of fertilizer is used for both types of strawberries, but for the everbearing, the fertilizer is spread out over four applications throughout the growing season.

Flickr / sigusr0Training the plants

There are three training methods for strawberries: the hill system, the spaced runner system and the matted row system. The matted row system is the most common one for the backyard grower. It is the least labor intensive, but may yield smaller berries. Set the plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row with 3 to 4 feet between rows. The runners that develop from the mother plants root in a bed that is about 12 inches wide. If the bed gets overcrowded with plants less than 6 inches apart, thin by removing the weaker daughter plants. Daughter plants form from a mother plant 4 to 6 weeks after planting and then they root and fill out the row. The row width should be maintained at about 12 inches.

On June-bearing plants, it is important to remove the flowers the first season so that the plant’s energy is devoted to the daughter plants that are filling out the row. Of course, you won’t get any fruit the first season, but there is a big pay-off in the second season. On everbearing strawberries, it is important to remove the flower and fruit trusses for the first 60 days after planting. This will result in a small fall crop in the first year.

Come back tomorrow for more on fertilizing strawberries…

Flickr / sigusr0Planting & growing tips

Strawberries require full sun and need to be planted away from “frost pockets”—areas that are low-lying where cold air drains in the springtime. When choosing a site, avoid areas where strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants or peppers were planted within the last four years. These plants can act as host to a soil-borne disease called verticillium wilt. Sandy loam to loam soil that is high in organic matter and slightly acidic is preferred. The most important consideration is drainage, as strawberries have shallow roots and cannot tolerate any freestanding water. Lots of organic matter will improve drainage in clay soil and increase water-holding capacity in sandy soil.

Purchase plants that are certified disease-free instead of getting plants from family, friends and neighbors. These healthy plants will be large and have numerous light-colored roots. Plant them in early spring as soon as you have properly prepared the soil. Bare-root strawberries can be planted from late March to early May.

The holes should be big enough so that you can place the roots straight down and spread them out. The midpoint of the crown should be level with the soil surface. Tamp the soil lightly around the roots to get rid of any air pockets. Bare-rooted plants should not be allowed to dry out. They can be kept in a refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees. You can dip the plants in water while they are waiting to be planted, but don’t leave them soaking in the water.

Come back tomorrow for more on training strawberries…

Flickr / sigusr0What is the proper way to grow and fertilize strawberries? I heard that fertilizing them at the wrong time will discourage fruit from forming.

Strawberries plants are very hardy in Michigan and the easiest small fruit to grow. Following proper planting and maintenance, each plant will yield a quart of strawberries every season. There are two types of Michigan strawberries: June-bearing and everbearing.

June-bearing strawberries are easily adapted to the backyard fruit grower. They produce fruit for 3 to 4 weeks beginning in mid-June. They begin to form flower buds in the fall when the days get shorter. They produce their first crop the second year after planting—continuing to be productive for 5 to 7 years. The June-bearing varieties are divided into three categories: early, middle and late season, depending on their fruiting time. Backyard growers are encouraged to plant several varieties—one from each category—as that will stretch your harvest by a couple of weeks.

Everbearing strawberries produce fruit from mid-June to mid-September. Typically, they do not produce as many berries and that is often a disappointment to those who want to make jam or freeze the fruit.

Come back tomorrow for more on planting and growing…

Is there anything I can do, besides digging, to rid my garden of the star of Bethlehem weed?

Star of Bethlehem weed (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is also known by the common names summer snowflake, starflower, snowdrops, and nap-at-noon. This is a plant that was introduced to the horticultural trade as an ornamental spring-flowering bulb, not native to the United States. It has escaped to become a weed.

The plant itself resembles wild garlic or wild onion, but unlike those weeds, its clump of succulent leaves has a white stripe in the mid-vein of the leaf. The 6-petal, white flowers that bloom in late spring have a green stripe underneath the petals. The easiest characteristic to recognize is that the plant has no odor, unlike the wild garlic and onion plants. In addition, this plant is toxic. Ingesting the leaves and flowers can cause intestinal reactions, and the bulbs have been reported in some cases to cause death when consumed.

Good advice is to keep on digging and disposing of the plants as they appear in the spring. Although they go dormant after blooming, the bulbs multiply, so dig them out while they are visible in the spring to prevent each old bulb from multiplying to produce its goal of 7 new bulbs. Tests show that many herbicides have not proven to be effective. Most of the herbicides with glyphosate will kill the current season’s leaves, but re-growth the following year has not been significantly reduced. Broadleaf weed killers with 2,4-D as the active ingredient have not been effective at all. So, keep on digging, and don’t let them get you down.

My dogwood tree’s blooms are smaller than usual this year. I have noticed that other dogwoods in my area seem weaker in bloom size as well. My tree is in full sun all morning. It does have quite a few lichen-type patches on its trunk and limbs. Any thoughts?

One of the characteristics of dogwoods is a “biennial bearing” trait. Dogwoods do not always bloom the same amount each year. In fact, a healthy dogwood tree may bloom especially heavy one year with a huge berry crop in the fall, and the following year may bloom poorly. Simply, the tree has expended a great deal of energy with little left over to produce flower buds for the next year.

Think back to last spring and the size and quantity of blossom. Because many of the dogwoods in your area are exhibiting similar traits, it is very possible they are responding to environmental conditions. Michigan had a relatively mild fall and winter with less than usual snow cover, and a noticeably dry April. Moisture is a strategic ingredient to abundant flower bud production. To determine next year’s flowering, it is important to observe the quantity of buds in late fall.

It appears you have sited your tree well for beneficial morning sun. The fact that you have lichens appearing on trunk and limbs is not life threatening. Lichens are simply another form of plant life that adheres to the bark, but does not penetrate into the cambium layer. Rather, they obtain their nutrition from the air, which provides all the moisture and microscopic minerals they need. Lichens actually grow in winter, using the leafless tree to have full access to sunlight. As your dogwood leafs out, the lichens stay on limbs within the shelter of the canopy. When the lichen is wet, it grows actively. But when it dries out in summer, it becomes dormant until moisture starts it growing again.

As conscientious homeowners, we have favorite plants in our landscapes. Since your dogwood has produced faithfully in the past, give it a year off for good behavior. Don’t immediately think you must “fix” this blossom issue. Take an observer position, noting seasonal conditions and watching the tree’s overall health and vigor. Plants have their own circadian rhythm just as people do. You can do more harm than good by interrupting nature with additional fertilizers and water.