‘Allstar’ is a highly productive, low-maintenance strawberry variety that backyard gardeners love. Its delicious berries and resistance to common strawberry diseases make it an easy pick to add to your garden wishlist every season. Join organic farmer Jenna Rich as she shows us how to plant, grow, and care for ‘Allstar’ June-bearing strawberries. Summer is almost upon us, and for me, nothing signals summer quite like strawberry plants beginning to blossom and set fruit. A summer day isn’t complete until I’ve picked and consumed a handful of fresh berries! ‘Allstar’ strawberry plants are vigorous and wildly productive, so I recommend this variety if you want to work berries into your everyday snacks like I do. They can grow in containers, raised beds, or ground. Get your jam and pie recipes ready; you’ll need them! Let’s talk about one of my, and so many other gardeners’, favorite strawberry varieties, the June-bearing ‘Allstar’. What Are ‘Allstar’ June-bearing Strawberries? ‘Allstar’ might as well come with a home gardening gold star. It’s beloved for its low-maintenance attitude, classic strawberry flavor, and high yields. Plus, it’s virtually disease-free! Fruits are big and juicy and ripen in early summer. Its thin skins make it perfect for fresh eating, desserts, and preserves. Unlike ever-bearing varieties that supply small to medium-sized fruits all season, ‘Allstar’ is June-bearing. This type of strawberry produces a main flush of large berries in peak summer, around June and July. They require a period of dormancy and grow well across zones. Appearance The plant features dense, medium to dark green, glossy foliage and grows to about nine inches tall and 12 inches wide. The flowers are white and five-petaled with yellow centers. The berries are bright orangeish-red, large, and plentiful. How to Grow ‘Allstar’ is relatively low-maintenance, but to be rewarded with delicious, large berries, the plants require a few basics. Sunlight Strawberry plants require full sun to grow properly, and yields will be best when they receive six to ten hours daily. Less sunlight may result in leaf drop and a decrease in productivity. Plants will appreciate some afternoon shade. Consider using shade cloth during periods of prolonged, harsh sunlight. Water The soil should be consistently moist but not waterlogged, and plants should receive at least an inch of water weekly. Root rot and disease spread quickly in soggy soil. Add compost to adjust soil consistency and help with drainage. Soil ‘Allstar’ strawberries require well-draining, loamy, and fertile soil. They’ll appreciate a healthy application of well-aged, organic compost worked in before planting. Plants can adapt to various soil types. Amend the soil until the pH is between 6 and 6.5. Mulch Mulch around your plants to reduce weed pressure, help retain soil moisture, and protect the crown from cool temperatures. If rainfall has been ample and the soil is exceptionally moist, hold off on mulching during the summer, as this could cause root and crown rot. Add several layers of organic straw mulch before the first fall frost heading into winter to protect plants from frost damage and cold temperatures. Remove any mulch put over the plants for winter protection to fertilize and clean up winter debris. Some gardeners choose to reapply mulch for the season, but it’s a personal preference. Climate and Temperature Requirements Before planting out, temperatures should be comfortably between 50°F (10°C) and 80°F (27°C). Excess humidity can cause disease, and cold temperatures may cause damage. If temperatures dip below 50°F (10°C) for a prolonged period, cover plants with row cover. The foliage of ‘Allstar’ is hardy enough to stick around into winter, creating a ground cover. Fertilizing Prepare the soil by mixing lots of well-aged compost and a potassium-rich fertilizer, spreading about ⅓ cup around each area where a plant will grow. Use a high-quality, all-purpose, well-balanced (10-10-10-) fertilizer on your strawberry plants. Feed new plants every two weeks with slow-release fertilizer. Follow the instructions and dosages as per the package instructions. Harvesting When berries begin ripening, get your harvest buckets ready in late spring to early summer. Harvest often to keep berries from spoiling and avoid picking early. Strawberries won’t ripen once off the vine. Pruning Pruning is unnecessary for strawberries; monitoring and removing runners will help control their spread. Runners will begin to appear in the spring as the day length increases. In year one, removing runners allows the plant to focus energy on establishing a solid root system. Propagation Propagating strawberry plants is fun and easy. Purchase bare roots from reputable sources, plugs, or plants at your local nursery, or create new plants by potting up runners you removed from established plants. You can even start them from seed!

The ‘Duke’ blueberry variety is grown for its prolific production and ability to withstand cold. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains how to take care of this blueberry bush best Growing fruits reliably can be tricky for gardeners in colder climates. There is a balance required— some plants need a certain amount of cold exposure to fruit successfully, but too much frigid weather can damage some species. Blueberry lovers in colder regions won’t need to worry when growing the ‘Duke’ variety. This northern highbush is one of the hardiest blueberries available, suitable for frosty regions around the United States. They are also easy to grow when following these simple guidelines. What Is It? ‘Duke’ is a northern highbush blueberry variety known for its cold-hardy nature. These shrubs don’t mind a little chill, growing in USDA Zones 4-7. They produce flowers a little later in the season, avoiding issues with frost and ensuring cold-region gardeners don’t have to worry about frost protection. Although flowering is later, this variety is also one of the earlier producers. You can typically start harvesting berries at the beginning of summer, unlike other varieties like ‘Pink Lemonade’, which only start ripening in the middle of the season. The bush not only has berries that ripen early, but it also produces mountains of them – agricultural researchers assert it is one of the most prolific producers you can grow. You won’t have a shortage of delicious purple-blue berries to snack on if you choose ‘Duke.’ Planting Once you’ve purchased your blueberry bush, you’re bound to be excited to get it in the ground. However, it’s best to give it a little time to adjust before you plant. Changing environments are stressful for any plant, especially when they’ve been growing in optimal conditions at the nursery. For the first few days, keep your ‘Duke’ blueberry in a partially shaded area in its container. Avoid areas with high winds, as this can increase stress. Keep the soil lightly moist but not waterlogged until you’re ready to start the planting process. Don’t wait too long either – they only need a few days to adapt and limit shock. Plant within the first week in the shrub’s final home. Once your blueberry bush is acclimated, choose an ideal location for planting. Full sun is best for the highest possible yield, but these plants can also grow in partial sun. Soil is an important consideration, as blueberries are acid-loving plants. They won’t be happy in soil with a pH above 5.5 and prefer an even lower pH around 4.5 for the best possible growth. Test your soil and amend it until you achieve the right pH before planting. With your location identified, start digging the hole. It should be around twice as wide as the container and only slightly deeper, encouraging the roots to grow outwards into the soil. Lower the bush into the hole and plant at the same level it was at in the container, filling in the gaps with rich soil mix. Press down around the base of the plant to settle the roots in place and remove any large air pockets that may require a soil top-up. Water immediately after planting to prevent any further stress and encourage the roots to stretch deep into the soil. If you’re planting another blueberry bush simultaneously, leave at least 5 feet of space between each plant. Overcrowding can increase your risk of disease in both plants and increase competition for resources. However, growing multiple blueberries will improve pollination and overall yields.

Are you looking for a unique and highly ornamental native wildflower for your shade garden? Jack in the pulpit is unusual, showy, and surprisingly easy to grow, given the right conditions. Does your shade garden have what it takes to grow a Jack-in the-pulpit? Keep reading to find out! Anyone who loves those early spring wildflowers that carpet the woodlands of North America will appreciate the Jack-in-the-pulpit plant. This is a fascinating spring ephemeral wildflower. Spring ephemerals are those flowering plants that emerge early in the season for a brief period of flowering and then go dormant again for the rest of the season. Jack-in-the-pulpit is native to moist woodlands throughout eastern North America, and if you’re lucky, you can grow one in your own shade garden. Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, is a member of the Arum family (Araceae), which comprises mostly tropical plant species. There are just a handful of Arisaema species native to the United States, and the Jack-in-the-pulpit is, by far, the most common. You can sometimes find these plants for sale at nurseries specializing in native plants. You’ll only need one because they will slowly spread and can be further propagated if you ever want to expand your collection. Jack-in-the-pulpit plants emerge in early spring, providing showy vegetation for just a few months from early spring until early summer. During this time, watch for the fascinating, cup-like flowers with their hooded tops. Take a peek inside the flower, and you’ll see the “Jack” in his pulpit! After flowering, the plant goes dormant again unless it has produced a mass of bright red fruits, which linger until fall. These plants are an ideal addition to your native shade garden. If you want to try growing your own Jack-in-the-pulpit plants, let’s dig into more details about how you can help them thrive in your landscape. Plant Natural History Jack-in-the-pulpit is a long-lived perennial native to the central and eastern United States and Canada. It grows in moist, deciduous woodlands throughout its range, preferring lowland forests with rich soils. It typically grows alongside an assortment of other spring-blooming wildflowers, including trilliums, spring beauties, and Mayapples. This herbaceous perennial wildflower is part of a group of spring-blooming plants known as spring ephemerals. These plants bloom in early spring, and then the above-ground leaves, stems, and flowers wither and die back to remain dormant for the rest of the growing season. The thick corm-like roots remain alive and well below the soil surface. Jack-in-the-pulpit was used as a food source, although it should be noted that all parts of this plant are poisonous unless they are properly prepared. These plants also provide a food source for birds and other small animals as they forage on the ripe fruits. Jack-in-the-pulpit is an important part of the forest ecosystem, and wild plants should not be removed from their natural habitat. Characteristics Jack-in-the-pulpit is a showy wildflower for your springtime shade garden. In early spring, the leaves begin to emerge, starting the brief growing season for these plants. Each plant produces just two or three stems that emerge from the base. At the end of each stem is a broad arrangement of three equally sized and spaced leaflets. The leaves are typically solid green with prominent central and lateral veins. A final, central stem between the leaf stem becomes the flowering stalk. Jack-in-the-pulpit has very unusual spring-blooming flowers. When you examine these inflorescences, you will notice a cup-like part with a prominent hood. This cup-like flower part is known as the spathe (it’s the “pulpit”). The inner flower part is called the spadix and looks like a rounded stalk. This is the “Jack” who sits inside his hooded pulpit. After blooming, the leaves die back, and the entire plant goes dormant for the remainder of the year, re-emerging again the following spring. If, however, a mature plant produces pollinated fruits, these remain standing as a mass of bright red berry-like fruits, fully maturing by late summer or early fall. Jack-in-the-pulpit plants grow from thick tuberous roots. These are relatively slow-growing, but they will spread over time, creating attractive colonies. You won’t need to worry about these plants becoming invasive in your garden, as they are very well-behaved. A colony of Jack-in-the-pulpits consisting of several lush, green, healthy plants is a very attractive addition to your landscape. Propagation If you already have a mature Jack-in-the-pulpit plant, you should have no trouble propagating it. You will, however, need to wait a few years for it to either produce seeds and self-sow or develop some new side growth from the roots that you can then dig and divide. Either way, patience is key. How to Grow Jack-in-the-pulpit plants are surprisingly easy to grow. If you can provide ideal growing conditions, you should have no trouble with maintaining a healthy population of Jack-in-the-pulpit plants in your moist woodland garden. Maintenance Jack-in-the-pulpit is a fairly low-maintenance plant. You’ll want to keep an eye on it while it’s growing to make sure it looks healthy. If colonies grow larger than you want, go ahead and thin them back to your desired preferences. Pull out any weeds that try to invade your wildflower garden. This will not only improve the looks of your woodland garden by keeping it tidy, but you will also greatly help reduce competition from aggressively growing invaders.