Who can save my strawberries?

[Constance]

I don't have any luck getting them to ripen on the counter.

Strawberries rot if they get rain when they're ripening, so I'd hold off on the watering if I were you.

[sparrowgrass]

Strawberries are one fruit that does not improve after picking--once they leave the plant, they will not get sweeter.

Sounds like you have too much moisture around your plants--hold off on the watering.

This guidesheet might help:

G6135 Home Fruit Production: Strawberry Cultivars and Their Culture, MU Extension

[JillBurgh]

Great resource, sparrow. Thanks!

As for the ripening, I brought a biggie in yesterday that was pale pale pink. This morning, after a night on the counter it was dark dark pink. I popped it in the freezer before work because we've been having ants and I didn't want to risk letting it sit out any longer. I'll eat it when I get home tonight and report back on its sweetness. That should learn us, all right!

[B'sgirl]

Is it difficult to transplant strawberries? I have a huge patch in a flower garden. It looks nice but the runners are going to take over and drown my pansies. I want to move my strawberry plants to an isolated area. Is it better to do it in the fall or spring? Or not at all? (This is the second year).

[kykuzins]

I've been wanting to grow strawberries on my balcony in one of those strawberry pots, haven't yet, too chicken I guess. I have however been reading up on them. Once picked strawberries unless frozen or canned should be eaten in two to three days. Leaving them out on the counter for more than a couple of hours, invites them to be exposed to the browning effect, not good. Putting them in the refrigerator doesn't improve their taste, however, if you aren't going to be eating them right away, its best to put them in the coolest part of your refrigerator, like I said no more than 2 or 3 days. Put them away with their green caps intact and unwashed. When you do wash them don't leave them in the water as they will lighten in color and flavor. When you remove the green caps use a potato peeler or something like that, remove the cap without any of the fruit. I hope this helps. Now I don't know a dingdang thing about planting them, only about storing and eating them.