Planting and Preparing Strawberry Root Starts: Don't Bury the Crown

Planting and Preparing Strawberry Root Starts: Don't Bury the Crown

Strawberry plants are very rewarding to grow. However, they are a bit of challenge to start as seeds and they are fairly expensive to buy as pint sized plants. Strawberry seeds take a very long time to germinate, germinate poorly for most of us and take a long time to get to producing size. A great way to save money over the pint sized strawberries that can cost $2-$4 a plant is using strawberry root starts.

Strawberry root starts are older plants that are removed from the ground and stored it a mostly dry medium. You typically get 10 plants (roots and crown) for $3-$5 a bag. I found mine at Walmart for $2.98.  The benefits are cost and established plants. The root systems are strong and the crowns are established. The root sets will leaf up quickly once planted. They will bear strawberries the first year but the second year will bring a full crop... unless of course you get jump to the season. Here is how I do that.

I show you how to soak the roots and plant the strawberries in containers. Always keep the crown above the ground. Planting them this way will get you bigger and stronger transplants when planted in your beds. You can use any similar sized container. The key is to know where the roots end and the crown begins. You have to keep the crown above the  ground. That is were the leaves will sprout from as you can see in the video still above.

You can get a good 8 week start by planting your roots in containers and starting them in the house, garage (move them in and out of the sun during the day) or in a greenhouse.  Strawberries can tolerate the cold. You just don't want them sitting outside in 30 degree weather, they will basically hibernate. The goal is to get them growing.

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Planting Spring Peas in Peat Trays/Pots and Transplanting Peas to Containers

 Planting Spring Peas in Peat Trays/Pots 

& Transplanting Peas to Containers

The most important thing to know about peas is they like cool weather and they don't like soggy ground. They can take a frost and a freeze but starting them in cold wet soil is a recipe for rotting seeds. The best way to get a jump on your gardening season is to start peas in cups or seed trays. I use to think you could not start peas in seed cells and transplant them. The rumor was they don't like having their roots disturbed. Just be careful with them! I was wrong and have been doing it for years.

There are many many ways to seed start peas. I will certainly be trying out different methods and making videos on all of them. I bought a bunch of peat trays and I hate them for most things but not for peas. Peas can be grown in the peat trays and transplanted directly to your containers or ground beds without removing them from the peat trays. Peas are very easy to seed start. This is one way to avoid disturbing their roots.

They will germinate anywhere between 7 and 14 days depending on where you are starting them. If I start them indoors in a nice 75 degree grow  light closet they come up in about 7 days. In my greenhouse, with fluctuating temperatures and low lows, it takes about 14 days. Once they come up, they grow quickly and you don't want to hold them to long. After germination in about 7-10 days you will see the roots coming through the peat trays or pots. It is about that time you need to get them into the ground. If the ground is still frozen or too wet... try 5 gallon containers like in the video.

Like I said there are so many ways to start peas. The bottom line is... grow some. You have never tasted peas before if you haven't had a fresh picked pea off the plant. The sweetness is amazing and can't be found in any store bought peas.

Good Luck in Your Gardens
Gary

Visit my YouTube Site dedicated to New Gardeners:
My First Vegetable Garden

Join a Community of World Gardeners at
My Google+ Community - My First Vegetable Garden!