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Florida Gardening

Growing Strawberries in South Florida

13 years ago

I'm getting ready to order strawberries. This is my second year gardening. Last year, I bought a few strawberry plants at the local nursery. They did not do well. They were super small, and most rotted or got eaten by bugs before I got to them.

It is my understanding that sweet Charlie do well here. I was reading on one of the catalogs that I can order them from, that they recommend just pinching off the flowers the first year, so the second year crop produces better. Would we follow these instructions here in S. FL? I mean, my strawberry plants withered away as soon as the summer came around. Are strawberries perennial here? Mine were not.

Does anyone have any other instructions for a productive strawberry garden? I am planting in ground with raised rows. I use hay as a mulch. I have sprayers for watering. if I do things differently, might I get better results.

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Comments (5)

Ecopal
13 years ago
Just donÃ¯Â¿Â½t get yours from home depot. Last year the ones I got were crawling with aphids. They were also very small. It makes think how people grow those huge ones you see at the store.
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garyfla_gw
13 years ago
Hi
hard to believe Florida is the second largest producer of strawberries in the world ,isn't it?? lol
I've had the best luck with June bearers in winter aiming at production in Jan Feb. Last year I had both "Fiesta" and Ozark Beauty " actually make it through summer . I grow them in Strawberry jars in a mix of Coir and pine bark fines transplanting the offsets . I erred again in transplanting too early (too hot) and lost half of them lol. You might check out the UF website they have all kinds of info for the different methods with a list of the most produtive varieties for the different zones in florida. GOOD LUCK!!! gary
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westhamutd
13 years ago
Hi,I'm up in Central Fl & grew Sweet Charlie variety last season.I had 50 plants of that variety & they produced a bunch of fruit.I would plan on using the plants as annuals here.After they finish fruiting,they will send out runners & form daughter plants.Dig up the daughter plants about this time of year & replant in a new bed for next season.I am doing a trial for next season,in that I have left all the "Mother" plants in the original bed & want to see if they are worth keeping for another season,in terms of fruit production.Hope this helps & good luck with growing them
Carrie Beth (zone 9b)
9 years ago
where do u order them from in st pete
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nighthawk0911
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
STRAWBERRIES ARE GROWN AS ANNUALS IN FLORIDA AND U HAVE TO GROW FLORIDA VARIETIES!!!

Unlike other places strawberries are grown as annuals in Florida. You plant them around October and harvest around March. Then start over again.

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