Strawberry care depends on its type, home

Question: I planted strawberries in 1- by 2-foot planters last year on my deck. Do I need to repot them this spring? What should I do for them now?

Answer: Strawberries don't need to be replanted every year. It is best to start over with new soil every few years in containers and every five or so years in the ground.

Spring is the time to think about fertilization. The timing of your applications depends on what type of strawberries you have.

Did your strawberries bear last year? If so, did they bear all season long or all at once? The reason I'm asking is that strawberries come in three types: June-bearers, everbearers and day-neutrals. Optimal care varies, depending on what types you have.

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June-bearers produce one crop per year, usually in June to early July, typically for four weeks each year. These produce many runners (above-ground stems) that grow over the soil surface and form "daughter plants" from the buds. These new daughters can be managed to increase the yield of the strawberry patch if done so early in the season. Allow the early runners to develop and root. Then you can replant them in another pot or in the ground. Fertilize in late summer. June-bearing varieties commonly sold include: 'Hood,' 'Totem,' 'Benton' and 'Tillamook.'

Day-neutrals bear fruit from late May until frost in the fall. They produce few runners. They are best fertilized lightly from spring until early August. Examples include 'Quinault'and 'Fort Laramie.'

Everbearers have two crops of berries per year, one in early summer and another in the fall, with few runners. Examples: 'Tristar,' 'Tribute' and 'Selva.' Fertilize a little bit every few weeks.

Hopefully you have day-neutral types, as they are best suited for container production.

Strawberries grown in containers need excellent drainage. OSU Extension berry specialists recommended container planting strawberries in a soil mixture of one part sand, one part finely ground fir bark and two parts garden or potting soil.

Optimally, fertilize lightly with slow release, well-balanced (e.g. 10-10-10) fertilizer all season long. A good guide for fertilization is to observe plant growth. Leaves should be a healthy green; a pale green or yellow and poor runner growth may indicate nitrogen deficiency. Keep fertilizer off the leaves, as it burns them.

To learn more about cultivating strawberries, view the OSU Extension publication "Growing Strawberries in Your Home Garden" at https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu.

A bush bean that will germinate early

Q: When is it time to plant green beans?

A: Soil temperature is the best way to really know when beans will germinate. Whether you are planting tall pole beans or shorter bush plants, beans germinate best in soil at least 60 degrees. Normally, this is from about late April through June in our area. This year, however soil may be warm enough earlier.

The best way to make sure the soil has warmed up enough is to buy and use a small thermometer. Then you can be positive you are planting at the right time.

Beans will germinate at about 50 degrees, but at this cool temperature, bean seeds tend to crack, allowing microbes access.

White-colored bean seeds are particularly sensitive to cracking. Darker bean seeds germinate better in cooler soils. For example, I've found that purplish seeded 'Provider' bush bean seed germinates better and earlier than other white-seeded bush bean varieties I have planted.

For successive summer crops, plant snap beans all the way through June. Plant one more batch in early July, and you may get a fall crop, if we don't get early frosts in the fall.