This page is a profile summary of the strawberry cultivar ‘Ozark Beauty’ (Fragaria x ananassa). At the end of the page is a directory of suppliers from which you can buy Ozark Beauty strawberry plants. Hopefully, you will find the details here that you need in order to make an informed decision regarding whether or not Ozark Beauty strawberry plants are right for you and your growing conditions and needs.
Jump to:
- Where to Grow Ozark Beauty Strawberries
- Growing Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants: Conditions
- Disease Resistance of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants
- Disease Susceptibility of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants
- Ozark Beauty Strawberries
- Notable Features of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plant & Strawberries
- Additional Information about the Strawberry Ozark Beauty
- Purchase Plants from These Ozark Beauty Strawberry Suppliers
Where to Grow Ozark Beauty Strawberries
Ozark Beauty strawberry plants were developed in Arkansas and have proven to be one of the most popular and adaptable of the everbearing strawberry varieties. They generally grow extremely well in zones 4 through 8, and can even perform in zones 3 and 9. They are particularly well-suited for more northern climates and the higher elevations in the south. With appropriate care, Ozark Beauty strawberries can survive winter temperatures to -30 degrees.
Ozark Beauty strawberry plants have become one of the best-selling of all commercially sold everbearing strawberries in large part to its overall robustness and adaptability. For more specifics on the cultivation of Ozark Beauty strawberry plants, see the Growing Strawberries page.
Growing Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants: Conditions
Like all strawberries, Ozark Beauty strawberry plants prefer full sun, about an inch of water per week, and slightly acidic soil. While a pH of 5.3 to 6.5 is ideal for this variety, they will still do well in soil with a pH anywhere from 5.0 to 7.0. At their full, mature height, they will be between 8 inches and 1 foot tall and spread to about a foot.
Since Ozark Beauty strawberry plants are everbearers, planting them can yield two crops of strawberries: one in the late spring/early summer and another in the fall. Most of the suppliers who offer strawberry plants for sale online will ship in the early spring for spring planting. For June-bearing strawberries, this generally means that flowers should be removed and fruit should be foregone in year one to maximize plant health and future yields. However, for everbearing strawberry plants like Ozark Beauty, the removal of the initial flush of flowers doesn’t preclude all harvests for the year. With appropriate care, they will produce a late harvest meaning the fruits of one’s labor can be enjoyed the same year as the Ozark Beauty strawberry plants were planted.
Since this variety of strawberry plants produces a fair amount of runners, they can be planted in either the hill system or matted row. (See the Growing Strawberries reference page for more details). However, during the first growing year, it is best to remove all but 2-3 runners from each Ozark Beauty strawberry plant to maximize the size and quality of the strawberries and to help the strawberry plants root more effectively.
Disease Resistance of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants
Ozark Beauty strawberries are not known to have strong resistance to any of the common strawberry plant pests such as root nematodes or spider mites. They are, however, resistant to both leaf spot and leaf scorch.
Disease Susceptibility of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plants
Ozark Beauty strawberry plants are susceptible to infection with several common strawberry diseases. They are susceptible to red stele and Verticillium wilt. Additionally, Ozark Beauty strawberries also will succumb to anthracnose.
Ozark Beauty Strawberries
Ozark Beauty strawberry plants are vigorous, everbearing, and may be the overall best of all everbearing strawberry varieties (for more details, see the Strawberry Varieties page). While other cultivars may have superior quality ratings in a category or two, few (if any) are a match for Ozark Beauty’s overall profile. Ozark Beauty strawberry plants produce large, well-colored, tasty strawberries – and lots of them!
Of note, however, is that Ozark Beauty runner plants will typically not set fruit in their first year (or they will do so sparsely). So, be patient with the runners, and the second year should yield an even more abundant harvest.
The strawberry plants usually produce berries that are uniform in shape. Additionally, Ozark Beauty strawberries are only moderately firm making them less well-suited for shipping. Otherwise, the strawberries are a deep red color externally and red throughout when mature, very sweet (honeysweet but not sickly sweet) with excellent strawberry flavor, and an excellent choice for virtually every home use: fresh eating, canning, making strawberry jam or strawberry jelly, freezing, or use in other strawberry recipes.
Notable Features of Ozark Beauty Strawberry Plant & Strawberries
- Very Hardy and Adaptable
- Excellent (and Popular) Choice for Home Gardeners
- Considered by Many to Be the Best Ever-bearing Variety
- Good Choice for Canning, Freezing, Preserves, and Jams/Jellies
Additional Information about the Strawberry Ozark Beauty
The strawberry plant Ozark Beauty will produce runners, blooms, and fruit simultaneously at times. In fact, one large strawberry plant provider noted in a trial over 200 blossoms, buds, and strawberries on a single plant over the course of a season. That is production!
Due to their popularity, Ozark Beauty strawberry plants are sold by quite a few strawberry plant suppliers. Be sure to check the various suppliers to get the best deal, and always make sure they are a reputable nursery and guarantee disease-free plants. (Many additional varieties and suppliers can be found in our directory of Strawberry Plants for Sale, or you can shop by variety on the Buy Strawberry Plants page.)
Purchase Plants from These Ozark Beauty Strawberry Suppliers
If you are wondering where to buy Ozark Beauty strawberry plants, the following table contains reputable suppliers of Ozark Beauty strawberry plants.
Dale
Dear Sir, My name is Dale and we (my 9 yr. old Grandson and I ) built two 2′ x 10′ raised beds and planted 10 plants ( 5 ea. ). We had what I thought was a pretty good yield and have a ton of runners. My question is this. I would like to take some runners and root them for planting. We are in South Carolina and would like guidance on when to do this. Root the runners now or cover them with mulch and do it in the spring? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dale
Linda D. Randolph
I purchased bare root plants last June.
I did exactly as I had read and didn’t allow any runners and no strawberries to grow. I planted them in a 4′ x 6′ raised bed. I just watched them through the summer last year cutting off any questionable leaves and treating with diatomaceous earth for slugs. I used pine straw to winter the strawberries then uncovered them when I checked and found new growrh this spring. There started blooming and I have never seen so many blooms on a plant. There were literally hundreds I’ve strawberries what started blooming the second week in June some has big as the palm of my hand.
They were absolutely delicious, just as sweet as I had hoped and had they good old fashion strawberry taste I remembered as a child. I had so many ripen all at once I was giving strawberries to both of my adult daughters and some of my neighbors.
I think I had strawberry shortcake everynight for 2 weeks…..but no complaints. I loved every minute of it.
The Ozark Beautys are certainly my favorite from now on. I am already planning on mKe a 100 square bed and transplanting the runners. I will treat them as did the first plants Nd not allow berries or runners for the season.
I hope to be rolling (so to say) in Ozark Beauty Strawberries next year. I wanted to make some freezer jam with some but I couldn’t keep my hand out of them, so I guess I will have to wait for fall harvest……Fall Harvest! Yeah!
Kim
We live in Oklahoma and just bought Ozark Beauty Strawberry plants from a local nursery/greenhouse. They are doing great, producing runners, small strawberries and the berries are bitter. I just got a bird netting because as soon as on gets red, it gets a bite out of it. So we are supposed to pinch off the flowers now and plant the runners? Are they sour because its the first year? We have had lots of rain and we are growing them in a raised bed. We grew tomatoes in that bed last year. Any suggestions ?
John Mackey
You are growing Ozark Beauty? You have to be extra pretty for it to work. Or add more sugar to the soil. I use a nice all natural turbinado from Whole Foods. This comment was brought to you courtesy of Whole Foods™,Amazon™
Joel Davenport
Interesting enough, I went outside one night and dug one up that started to show signs of wilting. About 4 grubs were on the roots. I have since taken care of the problem
Joel
I planted some ozarks from bare root on August 19 in Oklahoma. Looking back now, I should have sent them back and got better products. I planted anyways and they seemed to do well and started to produce runners. Then after a lot of rain in September, around October 10 I noticed plants wilting one by one, not all at once. What do you think the cause is? I planted them straight in rows into the ground. Is it possible the soil got too compacted and killed them? Is it possible that the bare roots got green leafs and did well but didn’t develop strong enough roots?
Mr. Strawberry
Joel,
Based on what you said, it was probably the wet weather that caused them to wilt. See this for more, and good luck!
Denise Shelton
I planted Ozark Beauty strawberry plants for the first time in a strawberry tower bag. I removed all the blossoms and runners in the early season and am letting them flower and fruit for the late season. The plants are doing great but I’d like to transplant them into beds for next year since the tower doesn’t provide space for expansion. Should I do this before over wintering or wait until spring to transplant? If I over winter the tower, I plan to make a chicken wire cage around it and stuff it with straw. Thanks for your advice.
Mr. Strawberry
Denise Shelton,
It is definitely better to transplant prior to winter, if possible. Usually, September is the best time to transplant. Good luck!
Manfred
I live in the Netherlands. I recently obtained Ozark Beauty and would also like to try Klondyke, Daybreak, Headliner and Tangi and white fruiting varieties like Christina (virginiana), Keoki and White Pearl (bifera). Who has these or knows where to get these varieties? I grow several, also rare, varieties I could send in return.
Susie
I planted Ozark Beauty Strawberries in containers in a tiered container a few weeks ago & they started out producing well & looking happy. Now there is no fruit & the leaves are turning red!! What has happened or what should I do?
Thank You for your time. Susie
Mr. Strawberry
Susie,
Does this help? Good luck!
Chris
We planted Ozark Beauty root balls mid March in Phoenix, AZ and after 6-weeks there are still no green sprouts. How long should they take to show life?
Mr. Strawberry
Chris,
More than likely, are dead. If they haven’t sprouted yet, I’d contact the supplier. They will often send replacements. Good luck!
Pete
Mr. Strawberry:
Will the Ozark Beauty strawberry produce in Zone 9 in south Louisiana?
ALSO, I found some at Lowes in March, 2016. They were 5 in a one gallon container. I removed the plastic and pulled up my old variety and planted the Ozark Beauties (10 plants) about 2 feet apart. It is now mid July and I have over 50 new sprouts. Will these sprouts bear next spring if I plant them in October, 2016?
“Pete”
Mr. Strawberry
Pete,
Yes, if you transplant the new plants anytime between now and the end of September (or even in October in Zone 9), they will produce next spring for you. Good luck!
Mary
I live in Massachusetts and planted my strawberries in May
I have not fruit at all. But it is growing crazy. It has many shoots some have rooted them selves and continue growing.
Am I doing something wrong?
Will this plant survive winter?
Do I need to bring it indoors?
Will it eventually produce berries?
Nickle
Am starting a farm here in South Mississippi (30 minutes from the beach).
Am a native to Southwest Missouri.
I’m looking at all organic. Would Ozark Beauty be a good choice for round here??
Mr. Strawberry
Nickle,
You would probably do better with staggering June-bearing varieties that are staggered: some early-season, some mid-season, some late-season. The June-bearing varieties will give you a larger total yield, all things equal, and staggering variety ripening times will allow a longer picking season. The best thing to do if you are serious about it is call you local agricultural extension and ask for their help. They can provide a tremendous amount of assistance that will help you succeed. Good luck!
Spirit
I live in Miami…i think thays zone11a or b..anyway..i have 8 or 10 plants of a variety i forget and lost the tag to..but i had them for 2 yrs now and all they ever do is spit runners and grow beautiful big leaves..they flower very lil and they berries seldom sprout and if they do they are small and die b4 i notice them…i let them run and transplant them and gave 4 away to a nieghbor growing from the ground(i am a patio potter)..their plants do the same..and i was wondering what can we do diff? they survive the storms..the 90plus degrees..the cold 40degrees and this yr spring is late and i have bigger berries but only one every other week or so…i also just purchased the ozark beauty and am about to transplant…any tips for the sunshine state growing NS/NW on a patio with access to shade??
Mr. Strawberry
Spirit,
I’d recommend reading through each of the sections on the Growing Strawberries reference page, and be sure to read each linked page in the table at the top as well. Good luck!
Regan
Got a great production in my second year in May-June. Can’t wait for the second round in August. How should I tend to the plants between now and Aug? Remove runners, clean dead leaves out? Should I cut any of the good but older leaves away?
Mr. Strawberry
Regan,
I’m glad you got a great harvest! Removing runners and cleaning dead leaves out is good. I wouldn’t cut any healthy leaves off, however. Good luck!
Jeannette Boucakis
I have Ozark beauty strawberries that I planted in the spring. I live in mid-NH, and have been told by a friend that I should cut the foliage to about 2″ before hard freeze and cover with 6″ of loose straw…..but I can’t seem to find any sites that tell me how to winterize my plants by the experts! Help!
Mr. Strawberry
Jeannette Boucakis,
You do want to remove all the dead foliage. This should help you: growing strawberries. Pay special attention to the links at the top that cover the overwintering. Good luck!
Guy guy
Hi,
I’m planning on planting 30 of these plants in my back yard. I’m limited on space so I have decided to try planting/growing in rain gutters on the side of my house. Has anyone had ok results with the gutters? I only have this year to grow strawberries because I will be moving to a place where I can’t grow them next year. Will they still produce strawberries the first year without picking the buds? If so, about how many? If they will ony produce a few berries the first year, ill just scrap the ideah and try something else. I’m planning on trimming the runners off because I won’t have any uses for them. Would that help in berry production?
Thanks for the help
Straw Berry
Guy guy,
Yes, Ozark Beauty strawberry plants should produce at least some strawberries the first year, but I wouldn’t count on very many. Like you mentioned, be sure to trim off the runners as soon as they form to encourage the plants to put their productive effort into producing strawberries. Since they are en everbearing variety, your best shot is getting a few berries toward the end of the season. Good luck!
Marsha
Hi,
I live in Mn and planted Ozark Beauty strawberries Memorial weekend this year in a raised bed. I cut off most of the runners when they appeared leaving a couple per mother plant which in turn rooted. My questions is how do I winterize the strawberry plants in Mn. and when should I do it.
Mr. Strawberry
Marsha,
When the nighttime temperatures drop into the upper 20s for several nights in a row, the plants will enter dormancy. At that point, remove all the dead/wilted vegetative matter from the tops and mulch with straw. Good luck!
Odessa
I live in zone 4 and this is the second year of growing about 30 Ozark Beauties in my outdoor garden. I did pick off all flowers in the first year and mulched over the winter with about 4-5 inches of straw. This year, the plants have been very productive and have all the attributes I’d hoped for…like awesome color, soft and juicy texture and they are tartly sweet! Very happy I planted this variety and although there are a lot of birds (robins, mountain bluebirds, various finches) poking around elsewhere in the garden…they don’t seem to bother my strawberries which was a surprise to me! I grow organically, and I plan to use some bonemeal and bloodmeal in the fall and spring but so far…very little maintenance and great results!
The only thing I’ve noticed is that the runners definitely have needed a little bit of help to get and stay rooted in the ground. I think I will take some suggestions from this site and cut the runners to plant elsewhere in the garden. Should I pick the blooms off of the runners in the first year as well??? Thank you!
Mr. Strawberry
Odessa,
Great! It sounds like things are going well for you with your strawberry plants! If you transplant them this fall, you do NOT need to pick the flowers off next year. Just enjoy your harvest! Good luck!
Janey
Hello again,
I posted a question in April re getting the most out of Ozark for the first year (because we won’t be able to keep the garden plot beyond this year). I have been getting flowers for the last 2 weeks, and have been following your advice – pinching them off for the first month.
However, the leaves on some (not all) of my plants have been turning light green and yellow. What could be causing this? Would appreciate your advice. Thank you!
Janey
Mr. Strawberry
Janey,
It might be nitrogen deficiency.
Shaun
I planted 18 Ozark Beauties in a raised bed garden (8’x4’x1′) about 18″ apart. The plants I put in are from a very good local nursery. They were all 1′ tall and had multiple flowers and strawberries already growing. We live in Zone 5b (west Michigan) and should be done with our frost, it’s 70s during the day and 50s at night.
I have two questions. 1) Should I snip off all the fruit and flowers, if so why? 2) On average how much will each plant produce per harvest?
Thanks 🙂
Mr. Strawberry
Shaun,
These pages should answer your questions: Growing Strawberries , Strawberry Flowers , How Many Strawberries Produced. Good luck!
Deb in NH
I planted ozark beauty last june in a raised bed. We put a lot of rotted composted horse manure and good soil. The plants grew well but I got no flowers and no berries. The plants were vigorous and sent out quite a few runners. I let some runners root, and trimmed some off.
I mulched with old hay over the winter. I’m in zone 5 to 4 in southern NH.
This spring I have only 5 or 6 scraggly-looking small plants, and it looks like the main mother plants are not growing back. Any advice how to improve this? Should I switch to June-bearing plants?
Mr. Strawberry
Deb in NH,
Ozark Beauty should do well in the conditions you described. Since they are not, you might have an infestation or other infecting pathology like a fungus. It is possible that the plants died of cold injury, but it sounds like you protected them adequately. June-bearers typically do produce larger berries, so if you are up to re-planting, that is also an option. You might want to give them a few more weeks, however, to ensure that they just aren’t still dormant. Either way, good luck!
Thomas
Mr. Strawberry,
Will Quinault and Ozark Beauty do well if I put them in the same planter?
From,
Thomas
Mr. Strawberry
Thomas,
As long as both are disease-free when you plant them and the planter is large enough to support two plants, yes. They’ll do just fine together! Good luck!
Thomas
Mr. Strawberry,
I live in Tampa, Florida. I just got my first strawberry plants at home depot, Ozark Beauty was the only strawberry plant they had and really wanted to start a garden so got five of them. Now that I’ve read some about them. How do I make the most out of them?
Should cut the runners to make new plants? If it would help them, how do I do it? By the way, I planted them in two long planters.
Thank you so much,
From,
Thomas
Mr. Strawberry
Thomas,
You can learn how to make the most of them here: Growing Strawberries. To learn more about your other questions, see here: Strawberry Runners, Transplanting Strawberries. Good luck!
Garrett
I planted Ozark beauties in a topsy turvy last weekend and they are producing flowers should we pick them or leave them be? Does it matter to leave them and harvest any fruit we might get?
Mr. Strawberry
Garrett,
With Ozark Beauty strawberries, you’ll get flowers for two major harvests, one in the spring and one in the fall. Strawberries have a tendency to do poorly in the topsy turvy planters once the weather gets warmer as their roots can’t stay cool enough in many climates. If you can keep the roots cool, snipping flowers now will yield a much larger fall harvest. However, with the topsy turvy planters, you might want to not take any chances and take what you can get early. It will be a small harvest, but it will be something! Good luck!
Janey
Hello,
I live in the Pacific Northwest and just transplanted some Orzark today. Should I pinch off the initial flowers (assuming I get some), and if so for how long, if I want to increase chances of a Fall harvest? It is unlikely that we will get to keep the garden plot after this year, so we really hope to get some strawberries this year.
Should I also cut off all the runners?
Thanks,
Janey
Mr. Strawberry
Janey,
If you aren’t going to keep the garden plot after this year, definitely clip the runners. That will cause your plants to put their developmental energy into strawberries. Pinch the flowers off for the first month they begin appearing, and then hope for as big a harvest as possible after that. The harvest will be smaller, but in your case that will probably let you get the most out of your plants this year. Good luck!
Ginette
Hello,
I live in North Ontario, Canada and am questioning planting Ozark Beauty Strawberries! Our zone is 3-4, and our winters are cold…I really would love to plant these since they are so hardy and grow produce such beautiful strawberries.
What are your thoughts and do you think they would do well in our climate?
Thanks
Mr. Strawberry
Ginette,
They can probably do fine where you live, but you’ll have to take extra care during the winter to ensure that they are adequately protected. Good luck!
Dana
Mr Strawberry,
I planted ozark bueaties in late February. The plantings were dries bulbs. I put in a pot with fresh soil and food. I keep the pot moist with out being to wet. How long will it be for the bulbs to start sprouting out? I live in zone 10a 92807
Or am I wasting time with these bulbs as they will never grow?
Mr. Strawberry
Dana,
If you live in zone 10a, the weather has probably been above freezing for plenty long enough to bring the bare-root plants out of their dormant state. You may want to give it a bit more time just to be sure, but my guess is that the plants are dead. Sorry!
Allison
Hi I live in Indiana and I planted an Ozark in March. Now I have lots of leaves and two runners but no flowers or fruit. Will my strawberry plant produce? I hope so… Thanks Allie
Mr. Strawberry
Allison,
There is a good chance you will get a harvest later on since Ozark Beauties are an everbearing variety (see the Strawberry Varieties page for more information). However, you might want to visit this page if your plant isn’t producing: Strawberry Plants Producing Runners But No Strawberries. Good luck!
Christine
We find that Ozark Beauty is ideal for our 6500′ mountains of New Mexico. Out performs all others “hands down”. Huge, continual production of delicious berries. Can’t say enough about this berry plant. Wintered over well in -10 degrees F.
Mimi Alexander
I wondered if I could plant Ozark Beauty Strawberry plants in a Raised Bed size 4 ft. wide X 50 ft. long, in and around 15 Blueberry bushes since both are Acid loving plants? I’d like to plant them soon . . .
Thanks.
Mimi
Mr. Strawberry
Mimi,
You can, but neither will do as well. The strawberries, in particular, will do better without the overhead shading they’d incur from the blueberry bushes.
Bettina
I planted everbearing strawberries last fall. They are blooming now and I was wondering if I should pick off the blooms until July or would it be alright to let them produce since they were planted last fall. They are suppose to be Ozark beauty but they have produced no runners, but lots of blooms and this is only April.
Mr. Strawberry
Bettina,
If you planted them last fall, do not pick off the flowers. You are ready for a full crop!
Jo
Can you tell me if the plants propagate via the runners and if so, how do you treat the runners to get them to an adult plant. Thanks, Mine came bare root and this was the best site for questions.
Mr. Strawberry
Jo,
you can most definitely propagate strawberry plants via runners. See this page on Propagating Strawberry Plants and this one on Strawberry Runners for more information.
tyler
Im growing this strain indoors in perlite/drain to waste (hydro) system,
They seem to be do well,
I have harvesed a few and they were tasty and basicly bleed when I took a bite,
I am using General hydro 3-part formula under T-5’s Floro’s, under 16 hrs light feeding at about 700ppm and 5.6 ph,
My question is, will they just produce when there ready or do I need to introduce a cold spell/less light for a bit to mimic fall/winter?
How big are the berries supposed to be?
Thanks,
Mr. Strawberry
tyler,
Ozark Beauties are an everbearing variety. That means they will generally set two (sometimes three) harvests under natural conditions with a bit of production in between. The strawberries are smaller than what you’d buy in the store, which are typically from June-bearing plants (see the Strawberry Varieties page for more information). It is somewhat difficult to mimic the temperatures required to induce dormancy with indoor hydroponic systems. You may, however, get better results with Tribute or Tristar varieties. They are day-neutral and do well with hydroponic systems. The berries are a bit smaller (like everbearing varieties), but they will produce constantly. Hope that helps!
Matthew
I am very interested in growing Ozark Beauty strawberries but I live in Long Beach, CA which is zone 10. I am about 6 miles from the coast. I see them for sale at Lowes hardware store but wondered if they would thrive? Thank you.
Mr. Strawberry
Matthew,
They probably won’t thrive in Zone 10. But, with a lot of tender loving care, you could probably coax some strawberries out of them. Some of the Zone 9 Strawberries would likely be better suited for growing there in Long Beach.
Elphie
I live in north east Missouri and have 3 Ozark Beauty plants that have been sending out lovely runners for a while now, but I don’t see anything that looks like it might become a flower. I planted them too late to get the Spring crop, but am wondering if they will produce for the late summer/early fall. If they ARE going to produce for this session, when will I begin to see flowers? Should I go ahead and start pruning some of the runners now or wait a bit? Thanks so much!!
Mr. Strawberry
Elphie,
If you don’t even have flowers, you likely aren’t going to get any crop this year. So, if some strawberry flowers do emerge from the crown, it would be best to go ahead and snip or pinch them so that the productive energy of the plant isn’t wasted. You can also prune the runners also if you are concerned about overgrowth or to encourage the mother plants to better establish themselves for a bountiful crop next spring.
donald robson
should i moe my ozarks after they are done producing?
Mr. Strawberry
donald,
For help with that question, see the page on Mowing Strawberries.
Melissa
Hi, I planted some Ozark Beauties earlier this summer and they’re growing really well. I’m growing them in a window box, because I live in an apartment and they’ve already sprouted two runners. Is it okay that the runners hang off the sides, or do they need to be in soil?
If they need to be in soil, what is the most apartment-friendly way to transplant them to ensure that they get everything they need? I don’t have a lot of space, but I do have hanging space if necessary.
Thanks!!
Mr. Strawberry
Melissa,
It is ok if the runner plants hang for a while, but they should have their own dirt eventually. If you have another window box, you could plant them in it or use a hanging basket. Just be sure to water them enough as the potted plants can sometimes dry out more quickly and more frequently than plants in the ground. An easy way to get the runners started is to get a small container, fill it with dirt, and then use some tape or twist-ties to position the adventitious root at the bottom of the node so that it contacts the dirt. It will grow down into it fairly quickly. Once the roots are in, you can cut the runners and take the little strawberry plant wherever you like!
Elizabeth
Will do! Thank you so much for your reply.
Elizabeth
Last night, I bought a 15 plant container of Ozark Beauty strawberries from a local store. They were on clearance, since it is so late in the season. On a whim, I decided to give them a shot. There is a wealth of information on your website, and I have been reading to give myself a quick education on strawberry growing. I realize I am at a disadvantage because of their age, but it is a risk I’m willing to take given the minimal up-front cost.
I live in zone 7, in an area where hard clay soil is prevalent. Therefore, all of the gardens we’ve added have been raised beds or container gardens. I plan to grow the strawberries in containers, so I can move them through the seasons to maximize sun exposure. (Full sun is a challenge in our yard.)
Do I split the 15 plants or put them all as a clump? I haven’t seen that exact topic covered in the transplanting section. I was going to put them in a topsy-turvy type holder; but after reading here decided not to pursue that.
Are there any special instructions for transplanting so late in the season to help them thrive? I will not plan to harvest any strawberries this year, even though this is an everbearing plant. I hope for thriving plants next year.
Thank you!
Mr. Strawberry
Elizabeth,
Don’t plant all 15 plants as a clump. Split them up so that each root system doesn’t draw too heavily from the nutrient base needed by other nearby strawberry plants. As far as transplanting goes, be sure to water appropriately to ensure that the plants are well-established in their new homes. Planting them this year should allow the flower buds to form well this fall, and you should get a great harvest next year. Good luck!