Wild strawberry is aneverbearing typethat spreads in open, sunny areas by stolons and rhizomes.
you’ve got the option to harvest and eat wild strawberries in spring.
Plants are easiest tofind at nurseriesspecializing in native plants.
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If you have bareroot plants, plant them as soon as possible to prevent the roots from drying out.
you could also hydrate roots by soaking them in water for 10 to 20 minutes.
When to Plant Wild Strawberry
Plant wild strawberries in spring or fall.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Wait until the danger of frost has passed in spring when temperatures are still on the cool side.
High temperatures can initiate dormancy.
Allow enough time, about two weeks, in autumn for roots to establish before the first frost.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Selecting a Planting Site
Choose a spot that receives 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily.
Spacing, Depth, and Support
Plant wild strawberries 12 inches apart.
Keep the crown just at or slightly above soil level but be sure to cover roots with soil.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Wild Strawberry Plant Care
Once established, these are easy-care, low-maintenance plants.
They suppress invasive weeds, support wildlife, andattract pollinators.
A location that receives morning light and afternoon shade works well.
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Soil
These plants do not tolerateclay or overly wet soils.
Water
Water your strawberry patch after planting.
Plants grown in pots should be watered regularly but infrequently.
Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings.
Wild strawberry is hardy in USDA zones 5a through 9b and can withstand temperatures to -20 degrees.
Thin overcrowded plants for good air circulation to discourage fungal growth during periods of high humidity.
Potted plants benefit from pine mulches and acidic compost worked into the soil.
Woodland strawberry produces fewer blossoms closer to the ground while wild strawberry blooms are held above the leaves.
Seeds on the woodland strawberry appear raised on the fruit surface while wild strawberry seeds are embedded.
Stems can be snipped or berries can be gently twisted and pulled or pinched from stems.
A healthy wild strawberry plant may produce 10 to 20 berries per year.
How to Grow Wild Strawberries in Pots
Wildstrawberries can grow in potsfor many years if maintained properly.
As a clump-forming perennial, they need to be thinned in late autumn to avoid overcrowding.
The other option is to increase the pot size.
To repot, choose a container large enough to accommodate the number of plants you want to grow.
Pruning out lengthy runners directs energy into the mother plant and thins the patch for better air circulation.
Leave some runners to develop for next year.
Dead and damaged leaves can be removed anytime.
Propagating Wild Strawberry
Savepruned runnersto grow new wild strawberry plants.
A runner is propagated similarly to a cutting and may or may not have roots.
Alternatively, you’re free to replant the runner in a new spot.
Birds can fly off with your entire crop or peck holes in berries causing them to rot.
Organic preventives like diatomaceous earth, biological sprays, and commercial products help deter insect pests.
Use bird netting during ripening to prevent access to your strawberries.
Disease resistance is better for wild strawberries, but they can develop strawberry leaf spot.
Small reddish-purple spots appear on leaves and as sunken dark spots on fruits.
Provide good air circulation in the strawberry patch and remove weeds and dead or diseased leaves.
In severe cases, apply fungicide.
When using any treatment on the plants while they are bearing fruit, choose theleast toxic methodpossible.
If the plant has white flowers, it is edible.
Mock strawberry is hard, dry, tasteless, and not considered edible.
Wild strawberries are not considered invasive.
However, keep in mind that they do spread and can cover an area when given ideal growing conditions.
The flowers are white and the berries are rounder, smaller, and sweeter than cultivated strawberries.
Wild strawberry plants have white or pinkish flowers, while mock strawberry plants have yellow flowers.
Wild strawberries are sweet, while mock strawberries are bland.
