Backyard Berry Patch

Follow this guide for growing a bumper crop of strawberries at home

- NIKI JABBOUR

Sweet, juicy strawberries are a delightful summer treat and are easy to grow in a home garden. These productive plants are perennial, returning year after year, and depending on the type can provide months of mouthwatering berries.

Planting a strawberry patch can save you lots of money too! Pick Your Type There are three main types of strawberries: everbearing, June bearing and day-neutral.

Everbearing plants fruit in early summer and again in autumn. June-bearing plants produce a heavy crop of large, juicy berries from late spring through early summer.

Day-neutral strawberries produce a modest but continual harvest from the late spring through early autumn.

To encourage vigorous plants, pinch all flowers that develop on June-bearing plants that first year. With everbearing and day-neutral varieties, pinch flowers until late June and then let subsequent blooms develop into berries.

Prep Your Plot