Another rainy April day ( no surprise -we've had the rainest April in 126 years ) but rather on the warm side so I decided to plant Strawberry baskets. I planted 15 each of two varieties -Ozark Beauty and Quinalt, both superior in fruiting and disease resistance. I used wire hanging baskets and lined them with the cocoa shells. Just poke a hole in the sides and insert the strawberry plants. Fill basket with a good potting soil and tamp the plants down. Plant two or three on top and keep well watered. Strawberries are heavy feeders so apply a good fertilizer at least once a week. This is a fun project if you have children or grandchildren. Strawberries start producing fruit in 5-6 weeks. The Ozark Beauty, an everbearing, claims to have as many as 200 strawberries on one plant. If this is true I'll be giving friends and family a lot of strawberries this summer.
Written by Carolyngail at Sweet Home and Garden Chicago All rights reserved
