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 You will need a prepared garden bed or a strawberry pot. Strawberries like acidic soil (pH 6.0-6.5). Most soil in Orange County isn’t acidic, so you will likely need to mix compost into the soil. You can involve your kids in conducting a soil pH test by using an inexpensive testing kit, or just make sure you have at least 50% compost in your soil mixture. Once your soil is ready, plant strawberry starts (small strawberry plants) from your garden store or via from a mail order service like Mountain Valley Growers or Park Seed. Orange County is in USDA climate Zone 10. Strawberry varieties fall into two categories: June bearers and everbearers. June bearers need to be planted in late summer or fall to get a crop of berries by June. Everbearers produce berries through summer and fall, if they are planted in early spring. Pinch off early blooms for the first couple of weeks. This helps the plants store energy and spurs them to produce larger, juicier berries. Kids’ small fingers are the perfect size to pluck the tiny white flowers for little strawberry flower bouquets. Strawberries prove easy to grow for many gardeners but are susceptible to diseases, and they are tasty to insects and animals like birds, snails, squirrels and raccoons. Cover plants with netting, use organic pesticides and pick snails by hand. Keeping your plants mulched and the leaves and berries clean of dirt while removing spotty leaves and moldy berries plus watering gently will help. You may grow enough strawberries for treats. However, if you need a Plan B, go to a U-Pick strawberry farm. Berries should be available between early March and mid-April and through mid- to late June. One local U-Pick strawberry farm is Tanaka Farms in Irvine. The treat – strawberry jam! You’ll need several pints of strawberries and a big pot, plus canning jars, sugar and pectin. Each box of pectin will have recipe information. Follow the directions for cooking the berries and adding the sugar and pectin. Sterilize your jars by boiling them in the pot for ten minutes along with the lids and rings. Remove the boiled jars with sterilized tongs and fill to about ¼ inch from the top of the jar with the syrupy cooked jam mixture. Place the lids on the jars, and screw on the rings until they are finger tight. Place the jar back into the boiling water for about ten minutes (check the recipe in your pectin box). Remove it with the tongs. Within an hour the lids should seal. They will make a popping noise as the lids snap tight and concave against the tops of the jars. Unsealed jam will stay good for about three weeks in the refrigerator. Sealed jam can be stored for longer. It might be fun to try to eat all the jam in three weeks; try it on pancakes, French toast and glazed chicken breasts. Photo: Sabrina Conti of Mission Viejo loves strawberries! Photo courtesy of the Outdoor Education Center Christine Kirk, program director for the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, has a passion for nature and helping people understand the value of preserving Southern California’s natural resources and cultural heritage. Chris believes this starts with our children. Please submit your questions or ideas for a future Gardening with Your Kids article to christinek@outdooreducationcenter.org Photo courtesy of the Outdoor Education Center |
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