Strawberry, Annapolis
Fragaria x ananassa 'Annapolis'
Bare root, bundle of 10 plants
Sourced from MA
June bearing. Produces following year.
Description
June-bearing strawberries produce fruit around early/mid-June through mid-July. This harvest period is further divided into early, mid and late varities.
Annapolis strawberry has attractive, light colored, high-quality berries that maintain their large size through several pickings. A vigorous and winter-hardy variety, Annapolis has consistent performance and resistance to red stele.
Planting June-bearing strawberries will not give you a harvest the year you plant them. During the first year, be sure to apply fertilizer based on your soil test results, strawberries are generally known as being a moderate feeder and common fertilizers include fish emulsion, alfalfa, blood meal and feather meal. Placing a mulch around the strawberries like wood chips or straw is a good idea. If the fruits touch soil they will rot much faster. Some growers use a drip irrigation underneath landscape fabric or plastic mulch and plant strawberries in holes in the material. Strawberries need regular watering to give a good yield of fruit. Drip irrigation is the best, wet fruit can cause rot.
During the first year be sure to have the plants fertilized and watered. You should also pick off any flowers you see, and pick off any runners you see; this will encourage a large, bushy strawberry plant and give you a great yield the following year. To prepare strawberries for the winter, Cover the leaves with straw to protect from frost damage.
Most strawberries will have peak production in years 2-4 and taper off after that. If you love strawberries, a good idea is to have 2 separate patches and plant one patch, then after a year or two plant another one. This way, you may always have good production and be able to rotate new plants in simultaneously.
When you receive your bare root plants, keep the roots moist until you are ready to plant them. An hour or two before planting, considering soaking the roots in a diluted fertilizer solution. Do not plant the strawberries if freezing temperatures are in the forecast.
Resources
Growing Strawberries in the home garden, University of Minnesota Extension