Growing strawberries in AeroGarden-There is one sure sign that summer has arrived where I live (Southern Ontario). Fresh strawberries are sold at farmers’ markets in this manner.
You know, the ones in the small green bins.
Locally grown strawberries have a distinct flavor. They are significantly smaller than off-season varieties, sometimes even half the size. But WOW, do they pack a flavor punch.
Fortunately, the AeroGarden system recognizes the value of growing your favorite off-season vegetables and fruits on demand. This is why they provide a “grow anything kit” seed pod kit to aid in the pursuit of an indoor garden.
While growing strawberries in the AeroGarden fruit seed pods provided may be appealing. Unfortunately, this will result in nothing more than a bright green bush in your AeroGarden grow.
This may be nice for some, but if you want to grow strawberries in your AeroGarden, you’ll probably want some fruit to show for your efforts.
Table of Contents
Growing Strawberries in AeroGarden
While strawberries are not among the many AeroGarden seeds available, new strawberry shoots and existing plants can be grown in an AeroGarden using a grow basket. The strawberry plant will be able to send new shoots through the growing medium that is spread out across the AeroGarden by using a grow basket.
First,
You must find a strawberry plant root ball. Strawberries are a type of perennial plant. This means that if properly cared for, they will reappear in the following growing season (even after a harsh winter).
As a result, strawberry plants are best grown from a root ball that has already begun to develop. Otherwise, it could take years for a plant grown from seed to bear fruit.
How to Prepare Strawberries Seedpods
Even if you don’t want to save your AeroGarden seed pods from previous grows, this could be the time to break the rules. Reusing seed pods can help you save a significant amount of money in the long run. Growing strawberries in an AeroGarden does require some finessing to get things right.
Hydroponic strawberries thrive in agricultural grow sponges such as Rockwool. The rockwool’s stable ground provides an excellent foundation for root development. Grow sponges are another excellent option that can be found in any hydroponic store or online.
If you’re short on time or don’t want to pay the extra money for grow-sponges, compact peat moss will suffice for your indoor garden.
Step 1: Prepare and trim the Strawberry root ball
When you buy strawberry crowns or bulbs, they are usually quite large, roughly the size of a golf ball.
Because there is limited space in your grow pod, make sure you trim back most of the loose root ends around the root ball at the stem’s base. While this may appear to be severely harming the hibernating plant, it actually aids in root development. This works by causing the plant to concentrate its energy on new growth.
Pro tip: Dip the trimmed root ball into root stim powder. This will significantly lengthen the recovery time of the planted crown.
Step 2: Insert the root crown into the Rockwool or grow sponge.
It is critical that the root crown fits comfortably in the grow sponge or Rockwool. This will save you time fumbling with the plant and knocking root debris into the reservoir of the grow tank.
Adding debris to your tank will undoubtedly damage your pump over time. If the root crown does not fit, remove it and continue trimming! You can also choose to remove more sponge or growing medium if you believe the roots have already been sufficiently damaged.
Step 3: Insert the grow basket into the AeroGarden chamber.
Give the root crown a gentle tap once you’ve ensured that it’s properly positioned in the grow basket. This will ensure that any loose debris falls away.
Any loose debris, as I mentioned in the previous step, will wreak havoc on your AeroGarden water pump system. Take the extra precaution and eliminate it from the start.
If you have very large root crowns, you could also try skipping the growing medium entirely. Place the crown in the growing basket instead. Push down on the grow basket; when you hear a click, the basket is securely in place.
Step 4: Fill the water tank with fertilizer.
Filling the water basin and adding liquid fertilizer or nutrient tablets is an essential step that should not be overlooked. Growing strawberries in a hydroponic growing system like the AeroGarden is convenient because you rarely have to think about watering your plants.
With most AeroGarden models equipped with an intuitive water level low warning system, you can concentrate your efforts on eating the fruit and much less on plant maintenance.
Step 5: Collect pollen from the strawberry flowers.
When starting out as a gardener, it’s easy to forget that all fruits and vegetables have a flowering phase. This could be at the start of the plant’s growing cycle, depending on the species. In other cases, such as when broccoli plants go to seed, it is nearing the end of the cycle.
The goal in both cases is for the flowers to produce seeds. Plants have little chance of surviving without wind or insect pollination. Pollination will have to be done by hand because you will be growing indoors with no wind and hopefully not too many bugs. This entails gently tapping the flowering area with a cotton swab to aid in pollination.
You could also gently press a clean electric toothbrush against the flower to vibrate the pollen into the correct spots. The fruit will begin to form once successfully pollinated.
What kind of care do you give your AeroGarden Strawberry plants?
As the plants grow, it’s natural to notice yellowing or browning of the leaves. This is especially noticeable as the fruit ripens.
(As long as it isn’t overly persistent, which could indicate that the plant is malnourished.)
The gradual death of the leaves indicates that the plant is concentrating its efforts on producing fruit rather than lush green leaves.
I’m not sure about you, but I’d rather have a bounty of strawberries than a bunch of bright green leaves!
Caring for your strawberries will help to ensure that the fruit ripens in a favorable environment. To keep this gradual leaf loss going, check in on your strawberry plants every other day. Remove any dead or dying leaves, taking special care not to damage the plant’s stem. Allowing the strawberry plant’s leaves to rot will attract bugs and, worse, mold!
When are AeroGarden Strawberries ready for harvest?
If you followed the steps above, you should be able to harvest your first AeroGarden strawberries three weeks after the first flowers appear. Strawberries grown at home may be slightly smaller than those found in supermarkets.
So don’t be surprised if the end result is smaller than a raspberry. What they lack in size, these homegrown strawberries make up for in flavor. So, for the best flavor results, wait until the white part of the strawberry has completely changed to red.
How long does the strawberry plant live in the AeroGarden?
Your Strawberry plant can survive for up to 6 months before going into hibernation. To get the most out of your strawberry plant, make sure to feed, water, and prune it frequently.
What should you do if your strawberry plant dies?
When your strawberry plant “dies” or returns to hibernation, you should take advantage of the opportunity to clean your AeroGarden system. For more information, see AeroGarden’s complete guide to cleaning an AeroGarden system. This is a critical task because dirt and debris can quickly contaminate the solution in your reservoir tank.
This is especially important if you decide to take a break from growing and leave the plant in the system with the water pump turned off. Before you turn off the system, give it a good cleaning; you’ll be glad you did when the next growing cycle begins.
Finally, consider the following:
Strawberries are a fruit that most gardeners can enjoy. In terms of flavor and substance, these sweet berries outperform conventional crops. If you intend to grow these plants indoors, start with root crowns in your AeroGarden.
It may be tempting to pluck a few seeds from a store-bought strawberry for your seed pods, but they will not bear anything for years. So, start growing strawberries indoors with your AeroGarden system and enjoy them all year.