Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Strawberries

Q. Last spring, I purchased several strawberry plants (Ozark Everbearing) and a terra-cotta strawberry jar. The plants seemed to do well, and we had a few strawberries. Most of the plants lived through the winter. Now, we have seemingly healthy plants (very green, nice foliage, runners everywhere), but not a single blossom, therefore no berries. I live in central Ohio. Help!

A. I suggest you check the soil pH, your soil, watering and fertilizing habits and the depth of the plants. Read on:

Fragaria x ananassa 'Everbearing Ozark' - Everbearing Ozark Strawberry Ozark Beauty (Red Rich x Twentieth Century), originated with J.B. Winn of Arkansas. Introduced 1955 for its runner-plant production, attractive, sweet good-flavored berries. Mother plant very productive, runner plants usually produce no berries.

The garden standard! Popular everbearer strawberries, famous for large yields of bright red, unusually large berries. Bright scarlet flesh is firm and fine-grained, holds up well when frozen. Day-neutral plants set delicious strawberry fruit from June throughout Sept. Zones 4 to 9.

The shallow root system of the strawberry makes the everbearing sorts, which ripen in mid- and late summer when the transpiration rate is high, especially subject to drought injury. Often before the plants recover from one hot drought period another occurs to check growth and fruit production. The production of fruit over a long period also requires a fertile soil high in nitrogen. Because the flower clusters develop from buds in leaf axils in place of runners, everbearing sorts are shy runner producers. For these reasons everbearers are successful only where the rainfall is ample and the soil is fertile in northern United States and Canada and at high elevations in the Appalachians of North Carolina.

Partially from: usda.gov

Experts recommend testing soil pH levels approximately six months before planting strawberries. Normal soil pH levels should be between 5.5 and 6.5, and if levels are too dolomitic, lime can be added to the soil until the proper levels are reached. The crowns of the plants must be above the soil line, so check to see if planted too deep.

Strawberry plants are not deep-rooted and since they cannot tolerate drought conditions, during times of drought they should be watered enough to moisten the soil 6-8" below ground once a week. It is recommended fertilizing the strawberry plants halfway through the growing season.