Thirty years ago, the situation was simple: we planted strawberries in spring or autumn, as those were the only times when nurseries had large quantities of properly rooted seedlings available. 🌱 Today, thanks to the incredible development of nursery technology, we can plant strawberries throughout the entire growing season. We have at our disposal not only green (dug up) seedlings but also frigo-type seedlings and potted seedlings. And, indeed, it is difficult to answer the question of which planting term for strawberries is the best, as each has its good and bad sides. Below I present a few relationships between the type of seedlings we have decided on, the timing of their planting, and the height of the first yield:🧐📆
✔️ Strawberries planted from traditional (dug up) seedlings in late autumn or spring will only yield a symbolic harvest for the first time. Only in the second year, and possibly in subsequent years, can we expect a full yield, i.e., the maximum of their potential productivity.
✔️Strawberries planted from frigo type seedlings (most often planted from early spring to mid-June) yield their first harvest about 2 months after planting, with the height of this yield depending on the thickness of the seedlings measured by the diameter of the crown (the thicker the seedling, the higher the first yield). In the following year, plants from frigo seedlings fruit normally, i.e., at the time typical for the given variety.
✔️Potted seedlings are usually planted from the beginning of July to autumn, as well as in spring, up to mid-June. In this case, we can expect the first fruits in spring at the time typical for the given variety, while the height of the yield will depend on the planting time. And so: from strawberries planted in spring or autumn, the first yield, similar to those from dug-up (green) seedlings, will be small. These plants will fully fruit only in the following year. However, summer planting of potted seedlings shortens the waiting period for full fruiting. Strawberries planted from potted seedlings in summer (July, August) will reach their peak capabilities in the following year. This is an undeniable advantage of potted seedlings. Hence their growing popularity among professional growers as well.
