Day Neutral Strawberry Plants

Types

• Of the four cultivars of day-neutral strawberries, two make an excellent choice for the home gardener. The most readily available and easy to grow varieties include Tristar and Tribute. Tristar has smaller berries, while tribute tends to produce more per plant. Two other varieties, Seascape and Everest, work better in special growing situations called plasticulture and warm climates because they do not overwinter well.

Features

• Day-neutral plants produce strawberries from June through September, approximately 30 days after the blooms open. These strawberry varieties have good tolerance and resistance to typical strawberry diseases, such as powdery mildew and leaf spot. Unlike June-bearing strawberries, day-neutral plants have few runners and fruit well the first year of planting.

Growing

• Strawberries require soil that drains well, a soil pH of about 6.2, at least 1 inch of water per week and a minimum of six to eight hours of sun each day. Tristar and Tribute plants can have spacing as close as 8 inches and grow best in beds with two or three rows or in a hill system. Strawberry plants are available in bare-root form, in plugs or as small plants. The plants need to go in the ground in the early spring, usually March or April, and the crowns should set level with the soil line. For the first six weeks after planting, remove the flowers from day-neutral plants to allow for root and leaf growth.

Maintaining

• Weeds suck the nutrients out of the soil and compete with strawberry plants. A weed-free bed gives you the best chance of a successful harvest. A thick layer of straw as mulch not only helps with weeds, but also regulates soil temperatures. This allows for a larger harvest since day-neutral strawberry plants tend to stop producing in the heat of the summer. Pinch off any runners and maintain the strawberries as individual plants.