America's Favorite Berry

Another rainy April day ( no surprise -we've had the rainest April in 126 years )  but rather on the warm side so I decided to plant Strawberry baskets.  I planted 15 each of two varieties -Ozark Beauty and Quinalt, both superior in fruiting and  disease resistance.   I used wire hanging baskets and lined them with the cocoa shells.  Just poke a hole in the sides and insert the strawberry plants.  Fill basket with a good potting soil and tamp the plants down.  Plant two or three on top and keep well watered.  Strawberries are heavy feeders so apply a good fertilizer at least once a week.    This is a fun project if you have children or grandchildren.  Strawberries start producing fruit in 5-6 weeks.    The Ozark Beauty, an everbearing,  claims to have as many as 200 strawberries on one plant. If this is true I'll be giving friends and family a lot of strawberries this summer.







Written by Carolyngail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago All rights reserved