When to plant strawberries in South Africa
Few fruits are more emblematic of a warm summer day than strawberries, which are rich crimson in color and silkily delicious to the palate. We all agree that nothing beats growing your own food if you are looking for flavor and goodness packed into every bite.
A first for South Africa, MayFord Seed, a company renowned for being at the forefront of innovation and always willing to help, will provide strawberry seed to gardeners across the nation. Not just any strawberry, either. This strawberry type is of the highest caliber and would not seem out of place in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
Strawberries require a specific type of garden.
At least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight
Humus-rich, well-drained soil
Routine watering
Historically, straw was used as a mulch, hence the name, to shield fruit from damage, fungus, and dirt by elevating it off the ground. Along with keeping the soil moist and suppressing weeds, mulch. Because straw is not always easily accessible, disease-free grass clippings, pine needles, leaves, or newspaper strips can be substituted.
Strawberries can be transplanted from August to November
In September, you can plant seeds, and you have three months to transplant them.
optimum season to plant strawberries
Strawberry Planting Season
Strawberries should be planted in the early spring, typically in March or April, after the risk of frost has passed.
Growing strawberries
On a seed growing mix or compost, thinly sow the seeds. Add a light compost layer on top, and in water in. Keep covered, preferably indoors close to a window or in a greenhouse. It takes 2 to 8 weeks for germination to occur. When three leaves have developed, transplant into small pots to continue growing. Once the plant has fully matured, transfer it into the garden. The strawberries will eventually produce low-growing, leafy plants between 12 and 15 cm (about 6 inches) high, with a spread of 50 to 100 cm (20 – 40 inches). They produce flowers with five petals that are typically white or occasionally pink. Delicious red fruits with seeds on the outside follow the flowers. Later in the growing season, the plants scatter slender stem-like runners around the garden. They will establish roots and grow into new plants.
Use netting or other bird protection to protect your plants.Otherwise, you risk losing the majority of your crop. Strawberries prefer humus-rich, well-drained soil. Dig some compost into your bed before planting, and you can consider using a liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Strawberries taste better after being well-fed. Use some sort of mulch around the plants to prevent mold from growing on the fruit. Black plastic, pine needles, or straw are all acceptable materials. Mulch will aid in weed suppression.
How to Grow and Harvest Strawberries:
The strawberry plants will produce runners, bare stalks with a cluster of leaves at the end, from which roots will eventually grow. Cut the runners from the mother plants during the first two years to direct the plant’s energy into fruit production. Allow runners to mature throughout the year, then select the two strongest runners from each mother plant in the fall. To ensure root development, bury these tiny plantlets close to the leaf cluster in the soil with a hairpin or U-shaped garden wire (or place them in small pots with soil). Only clip the runners from the mother plants once they begin to produce new leaves, which usually happens after about a month and shows that they have developed a strong root system. Replace unhealthy plants in the original bed with the new plants, or plant them in new beds or containers. The following spring, these runners will already be bearing fruit, ensuring a steady harvest. Before harvesting the fruit, let it ripen on the plant to make sure to harvest the best produce.
