Strawberries are a beloved addition to home gardens, categorized primarily by their fruiting habits. The most traditional classification is the June bearing strawberry, which offers a distinct approach to harvesting and garden maintenance. This classification is based on the plant’s unique biological response to day length and temperature cues, not specifically the month of June.
The Defining Traits of June Bearing Strawberries
June bearing strawberries are “short-day” plants. Flower buds are initiated in the fall when days shorten and temperatures cool, typically in late summer or early fall. The plants remain dormant through winter, with flowering occurring the following spring as temperatures rise.
The primary characteristic is a single, concentrated harvest of large berries over a two- to three-week period in late spring or early summer. This concentrated yield is ideal for processing large quantities of fruit at once for jams, jellies, or freezing. This contrasts with everbearing or day-neutral types, which produce smaller, continuous harvests throughout the season.
After the harvest window closes, June bearers shift energy to “runner” production. Runners are horizontal stems that grow from the mother plant, forming small, daughter plants that root nearby. This vigorous production allows the patch to naturally expand into a dense planting system. However, it necessitates specific management to prevent overcrowding and maintain fruit quality.
Planting and Cultivation Requirements
June bearing strawberries are typically grown using the matted row system, capitalizing on their tendency to produce numerous runners. Initial planting uses bare-root dormant plants set in early spring. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart within rows that are three to four feet apart. This spacing allows runners to fill the area, eventually forming a continuous “mat” of plants 12 to 18 inches wide.
Selecting the right site is crucial for long-term productivity, requiring full sun and fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Heavy, wet soils must be avoided, as strawberries are highly susceptible to root rot; raised beds are often a good solution.
During the first growing season, the primary goal is to establish a robust root system and encourage runner formation, not to harvest fruit. All flowers that appear must be pinched off to divert energy into vegetative growth and runner development. Initial fertilization should be balanced, focusing on incorporating organic matter before planting. Proper watering is maintained throughout the first season to keep the soil moist, promoting the rooting of daughter plants.
The Critical Step of Annual Renovation
The unique growth habit of June bearing varieties requires an annual maintenance step called “renovation” for subsequent good yields. Renovation is performed immediately after the two-to-three-week harvest concludes, usually in late June or early July. This process stimulates new growth and prevents the bed from becoming too dense, which causes smaller berries and increased disease pressure.
The first step involves mowing or cutting back the old foliage to about two or three inches above the plant crowns. All clipped leaves and debris should be raked up and removed from the patch to minimize the spread of leaf diseases. Following the mowing, the dense matted rows must be narrowed to 8 to 12 inches wide by tilling or hoeing the edges, removing older plants and excess runners.
A balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 mixture, is applied immediately after the rows are narrowed and thinned. This fertilization provides the nitrogen needed to support the regrowth of new leaves and prepare the plants for flower bud initiation in the fall. Adequate watering must follow renovation to wash the fertilizer into the root zone and encourage the active growth that determines the size of the following year’s crop.