Grow The Sweetest Strawberry Fruits: Try These 6 Top Tips For Luscious Berry Goodness!

Strawberries are the taste of summer: they’re sweet, juicy, and versatile. Of course, if you rely on supermarket berries, you’ll know they aren’t always as sweet as you want. Sometimes, they’re bland, watery or even sour. With homegrown strawbs, your sights can be set a lot higher – and if you know how to grow the sweetest strawberry fruits, a happy harvest is well within reach. But if you want to be absolutely sure of perfection, or if you are worried that plants aren’t delivering as they should, read on.

Start from the beginning with these sweet strawberry tips, or implement any with existing homegrown strawberry plants if your berries don’t taste the best during the growing season. Hopefully, this guide will help you tweak and master growing conditions to guarantee the ultimate strawberry sweetness this year – and beyond…

How to Grow Sweeter Strawberries

Knowing how to make sweet strawberries is all about getting the conditions just right. Great flavor isn’t always about growing the biggest strawberries. Smaller berries can mean sweeter flavor. Plant health is critical, though. Yes, it helps to choose a sweet variety. But even when you choose a particularly sweet variety, poor conditions can leach all the flavor out of your berries.

Once you’ve made your choice, what really matters is what you do next. Grow the sweetest strawberry plants by giving them the best possible conditions – this means keeping a close eye on the basics of strawberry care, monitoring any sudden changes in appearance, watching for strawberry pests, but also starting and growing in the best way. It also means harvesting when fully ripe and eating right away for the tastiest results. Follow these tips for sweet strawberries guaranteed.

1. Provide Adequate Sunlight

Strawberries tolerate some shade, but they grow best and produce the sweetest fruits when grown in full sun. Whether you’re growing in beds, raised beds or containers, you should plant your strawberries in a spot that gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day.

If you’re growing strawberries in beds, plan the location carefully. If you use containers, you can move them to sunnier spots if needed. The sweetest fruits will be those that have basked in regular bouts of direct sunshine. Get the light and warmth right, and chances are the berries you pick will not only be red and firm but also lush and fruity.

2. Get the Soil Right

The best soil for growing optimal strawberries drains very well and is fertile and slightly acidic. The first two features are easy to achieve. Use quality soil or potting mix and add compost. If the drainage is less than ideal, you can add some sand to improve it. Growing in raised beds can help you to control and regulate drainage. You’ll find a great range of raised beds and large planters in the Gardening Know How Shop.

If you want to be assured of the sweetest strawberries, it's also worth testing the pH of your soil and adding amendments like sulfur, ammonium sulfate or sphagnum peat moss to get to a slightly acidic pH if necessary.

3. Water Regularly

For the sweetest strawberry plants, you need to make sure you water strawberries correctly and that you keep them well watered. First, make sure you have good drainage. Water-logged soil will lead to rot and derail all your efforts. This is usually easier to prevent in raised beds.

If it’s not raining, water your strawberries often enough to keep the soil lightly moist. Keep in mind that containers and hanging strawberry baskets will dry out more quickly. Container-grown strawberries may need to be watered daily, especially during the growing and fruiting season.

4. Fertilize the Right Way

Adding compost to the soil before planting is a great way to feed your strawberry plants. However, for the sweetest berries, you need to fertilize strawberry plants strategically. Potassium is the key to sweeter fruit. Use a fertilizer with more potassium or just look for a product specially designed for strawberries. Apply it according to the directions on the label.

Get familiar with different types of organic fertilizer and make sure you are using the best type for your plants – and applying it at the right times and frequency. Avoid products heavy in nitrogen, which is known to reduce sweetness.

5. Time the Planting Well

This tip requires advanced planning. You can plant strawberries in early spring, but for the best results, it’s best to plant them in the fall. This allows them to grow strong, healthy roots that will produce better berries. If you are worried about cold conditions through winter, add a layer of straw mulch to protect young or developing plants. It’s also wise to choose a variety that is hardy for your growing zone.

If you want to ensure a strawberry crop each year, consider maintaining two separate beds -- one for fruit bearing, the other for the following season's plants. Beds should be rotated to prevent vulnerability to diseases. You also shouldn't allow strawberry plants to set fruit within the first year. Pick off blooms as they appear to force more energy into producing stronger daughter plants.

Increase a plant’s pollination potential by growing nectar-rich plants nearby. You’ll find a good range of pollinator-friendly plants in the Gardening Know How Shop.

6. Space and Trim Plants

Healthy plants produce the best berries. Space your plants according to any planting instructions for your variety. Sensible spacing allows for ample airflow and prevents strawberry disease. There should be at least 12 inches (30cm) between plants. Overcrowded plants are more prone to produce smaller yields of sour strawberries.

It’s also a good idea to trim runners so each plant only has four or five to keep them healthy. If you are growing June-bearing types, trim back the foliage after the harvest. This allows the plants to grow new, disease-free leaves that contribute to healthy fruits the following season.

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