Albion Everbearing Strawberries
Fragaria. Sweet homegrown berries all summer long. Albion is a day-neutral type that produces berries all summer and into the fall. In autumns with late frost we have picked berries well into October. These plants will produce large, sweet strawberries. Great for growing in hanging planters and pots. Produces fruit in first year. Strawberries are planted 12-18” apart, in rows 4 feet apart and are hardy to zone 2 if covered. No. 1 sized root.
Spring Planting: this product will be shipped late April through May according to hardiness zone.
Scroll down for more details and growing information.
Sold as: Pkg of 8
Details
Growing Information
Important! Upon Arrival:
Keep moist and cool. Fruits and berries are shipped in dormant form so they can be transplanted out once the soil can be worked in the spring. Light frosts will not damage the plants as they are in the resting stage. If you are unable to plant immediately, the plants can be stored for a short period of time. This should be a dark, cool (but not freezing) location such as an unheated garage, fridge or a cold cellar. They should also be kept moist, but not wet, until they are planted.
Planting:
Plant your strawberry roots as soon as your soil has warmed. If you must keep them for a short period, keep the roots slightly moist and cool. Choose a sunny location in your garden with a soil pH of 6-6.5 and set plants out on a cloudy day or in the evening to avoid the stress of heat on the young plants. While preparing the beds, soak roots with water. Till in compost and dig a shallow trench for each row with rows 4’ apart. With your hands, form a small dome of soil every 12” apart in the row. Trim your strawberry roots to 5” long to encourage healthier, new root development. Drape roots over soil dome, with the crown centered at the peak. Add soil, tamp down and water. Crown of plant should be at the soil surface.
Growing:
Keep the bed weed free and side-dress one month after planting. Pinch off all flowers the first growing season. The exception is with day neutral, everbearing types such as 'Seascape', where the blossoms should NOT be pinched off during the first season. Pinching off flowers is an early investment that promotes bigger and healthier root systems, giving the plants a better chance of surviving harsh winters/droughts, pest damage, and produce better quality fruit. Use a seed and weed free mulch in the late fall and place directly over the plants to protect from freeze and thaw cycles. Remove mulch after last frost in spring and place into paths between rows. The following year after initial planting and after strawberries have produced their crop of berries, the plants should be mowed and fertilized to encourage new runner production. Set mowers to their highest setting, removing most foliage, and leaving 1 ½ inches of growth above the crown. Fertilize with 10-10-10 at 20lbs/1000sqft.
Even a well looked after stand of strawberries begins to wear out after 2-3 years of production, so to ensure continued harvest, plant a new crop during the 2nd year of production. After the third year of fruit production the strawberries should be tilled under. Strawberries should not be grown in the same place for 2-3 years to prevent build up of diseases.