Strawberries

I personally want to grow strawberries. It is my favorite fruit and just tastes amazing and after talking to you seems like it is completely possible. Due to our hot, dry desert like climate, I went out to make sure that it would be ok to even grow strawberries in the desert and pretty much everyone was like no. After scrolling farther I found a few helpful suggestions from a person who just started growing his own strawberries for the first time. His suggestions after three years of trying was to make sure they get enough food, sunlight and start them in the fall not the spring, because it may be too hot for them to grow. Although I am going to start growing them in spring I am sure if I give them shade at times and hope the weather stays ok, I feel we will have a good crop and will be able to use this for the next three years because after reading it seems like the average life span of a strawberry plant is three years if you want large amounts of productivity.

After looking at a few gardening websites I see the best way to grow these strawberries is to have them on a raised bed, which is kind of what we have now with very nutrient rich soil. They said to make sure we used mulch and to have lots of organic matter in the fertilizer we use because it will allow the strawberries to grow quickly and produce the most fruit possible. Keep the beds well mulched, to control weeds and keep the fruit clean. Strawberries prefer a slightly acidic soil of pH 5.0 - 6.0. Avoid soil that has previously grown other berries or members of the tomato family (Solanaceae) to reduce the danger of viral diseases. Drip irrigation is preferred over overhead watering because it stops chances of fungal disease allowing the plant to live longer. A fortnightly spray with seaweed fertilizer improves the vigor of the plants. They recommend using the strawberries in jams or preserving them if it is our first time, because it takes time to perfect the art of growing strawberries, especially in such a hot climate. Some facts about them are that they contain a very high amount of vitamin C. Almost all their roots are contained in the top 3 inches of the soil. California produces 75percent of the nation’s annual strawberry crop, so what makes them think that I cannot grow it in San Diego. Strawberries are my number one goal but I will also be helping my friends with theirs although mine seems very difficult to do after reading about how much work it is to maintain and guarantee a successful crop.