How to Grow Fresca Strawberries

Start Fresca strawberry seedlings in spring after last frost. Prepare the soil two to three weeks before planting to give it time to settle in.

Mark out a strawberry plot in a site with full, bright sunshine, good air movement and quick year-round drainage. If you don't have an appropriate garden site, use 3-, 5- or 7-gallon containers for potted patio growing. Use containers with drainage holes, as strawberries rot in standing watering, and utilize larger containers for large group plantings.

Mix soil for growing. In outdoor plots, till the soil to a depth of 8 inches and incorporate 4 to 5 inches of organic compost. In potted environments, mix equal parts bagged garden soil and organic compost and fill the pots three-quarters full. Soil with high organic content offers best nutrition and moisture retention for hungry and thirsty strawberries. Add 6-24-24 fertilizer to strawberry soil for best root establishment.

Plant Fresca strawberry seedlings at 15 inches in the row, or at every 10 inches in large containers. Leave 36 to 48 inches between multiple outdoor rows. Plant the strawberry seedlings just deeply enough to cover their root balls; strawberries don't thrive with deep or shallow plantings.

Water the strawberries with 2 to 3 inches of water to settle the soil and put them on a schedule of 2 inches of water every week. Lay organic mulch on the soil to keep it warm and moist.

Feed the strawberries again at mid-season to encourage fruit set. Give them 12-12-12 fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. per 50 feet of row. Feed them again at the end of the season for future fruit set. Always water immediately after feeding.