Q: I just finished reading your article on strawberry pots, and I have a few questions. This is my first year growing strawberries. I started with four plants in a 14-inch pot, pinched off all blossoms as they grew and grew more plants off the runners. I have a total of 18 plants. I built three of my own type of container box and transplanted six of the strawberry plants into each box. I have room for more boxes in the future.
All are doing well. I continue to pinch off all blossoms on all the plants, because I read you should do this the first year to have a better crop the next year. I have been searching for information about storing these types of boxes over the winter, but most of the information is about in-ground strawberries.
Can I store these boxes in my garage? Do I have to cut the plants down just above the crowns and cover them with straw if I put them in my garage? Do I continue to water these plants in the garage? Can I leave the boxes outside and cut the plants down just above the crowns and cover with straw?
A: Congratulations on getting new strawberry plants and for having the willpower to not let a flower produce one strawberry this year. Growing strawberries in a container like this is an experiment. The roots are the problem. They are supposed to be in the ground where they are protected from temperatures colder than right around freezing. On very cold nights, the roots will need protection, and they might be better off in the garage. If left in the garage too long toward spring, when the temperatures are in the upper 30s or 40s in the garage, the crown may start to grow too early. In a warmer garage, they will need more water in order to not dry out than if they had stayed outside in the cold.
As part of the experiment, try boxes in different locations. Outside, try one covered entirely in straw and one buried in the ground if it is not too much work, or up against a building and surrounded by straw, etc. The garage may not be available in the future, and when you have 10 more boxes to overwinter, it will be helpful to know what else works.
It may turn out that none of them work well and your best bet is to let all the flowers produce fruit the first summer and replace the plants every spring.
Q: I was wondering if you could help me out. We have potted some herbs in our kitchen: parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, mint and basil. Do they typically grow quickly or slowly? We’re not sure if we have enough light for them or if they are just slow (it’s very bright, but we don’t get a lot of direct sunlight in the kitchen).
A: Plant growth is not continuous. It goes in spurts. The roots grow for a while using up the available carbohydrates, and then they stop as the plant photosynthesizes and replenishes the stores. The leaves grow for a while and consume carbohydrates, and then they stop, and the plant replenishes again. When the roots are growing, the growth is not visible. There are times when the plant is dormant and not growing at all.
When plants do grow, they need the right amount of sunlight, water and nutrients and the correct temperature. If any conditions are not right, plant growth will be slowed or not occur at all. Some plants have dwarf varieties that don’t grow much at all when they do grow and other varieties that will spread rapidly.
Herbs grow best in the direct sunlight of a window, or as close to the window as possible. The soil should be kept damp but not waterlogged. Warm indoor temperatures are best, and a cold or frozen windowsill will slow the growth. When you see new growth starting to sprout, apply a half or quarter rate of a fertilizer that has a ratio that is even, such as 10-10-10.
The oregano, thyme and sage will grow more slowly; parsley, rosemary, and basil will grow more quickly; and the mint will grow the most quickly.
