Jewels of the garden: This crop will offer sweet rewards with minimal maintenance

Growing fruit in the landscape has become more popular as we seek additional nutritious options for a healthy diet. Small fruits such as strawberries are the easiest and most productive fruit to grow in the landscape. Fruit trees take up more space and require timely maintenance.

Strawberries grow like a ground cover with attractive green foliage, white flowers and tasty bright red berries. With proper care, a one-foot row should produce at least a quart of berries.

Strawberries require a half day or more of sun, and full sun is best. Good drainage is a requirement. To improve rooting, work organic matter and compost into the soil before planting. Strawberries are shallow-rooted, so watering is a must during dry spells for a bountiful harvest. They can be grown in rows or tucked in and around more traditional landscape beds.

Gardeners must first select the variety to plant. There are two ways strawberries set fruit. June-bearing and ever-bearing — or day-neutral. June-bearing varieties produce one crop sometime between mid-May and mid-June, depending on the varieties. Ever-bearing or day-neutral can produce two crops, one in the May to June period and potentially another in late summer or fall.

June-bearing varieties produce the highest yields but all at once. Ever-bearing varieties tend to have fewer berries in spring, and the summer crop can be significantly affected by summer heat and drought, which reduces the yield.

Spring-planted “mother” plants send out runners to establish “daughter” plants to increase the harvest. Remove the fruit in the first year of planting to encourage runners and a bountiful harvest the following year. Plants are usually available at local garden centers or can be purchased by mail order.

Traditional June-bearing planting methods are in rows with plants set 1 to 2 feet apart. The rows can be spaced up to 4 feet apart. The goal is to have about four to five plants per square foot. As the plants send out the runners and daughter plants, they create a mat of plants about 2 feet wide. The following spring, these plants will bloom and fruit.

Ever-bearing plants tend to produce fewer runners. They are planted about a foot apart, either in rows or blocks. Because they also fruit in the summer, good care is a must for a crop. High temperatures and drought stress significantly decrease yield. If ever-bearing varieties are planted, mulching is recommended, as is regular water and fertilization.

Because of their runner-producing growth habit, more plants mean the planting should be renovated yearly. Renovation is the removal of excess plants to maintain vigor and is done after the spring harvest. The planting becomes too thick if not renovated, which reduces plant health, yield and berry size.

This process removes all runner plants and leaves a band or row of plants about 10 inches wide and several feet between rows, allowing new vigorous daughter plants to grow. The other option is to dig out weak, small plants leaving at least 6 inches of open area between plants.

Now is a great time to survey your landscape and see if strawberries are a good fit for your yard and a way to grow your own fresh fruit for the table. You cannot beat the taste of a freshly picked, sweet ripe strawberry.

Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Have a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.