If you're growing a garden, it's easy to get excited about the delicious fruits and veggies you will soon harvest. But don't overlook the health of the plant itself. One Instagrammer has a hack that might not be as satisfying in the short term but will pay off in the long run.
The scoop
Joshua Meekins (@the_garden_is_growing) explains the strategy in a recent video on Instagram.
"Look, we have a strawberry flower!" he says, pointing to a white blossom on a small, first-year strawberry plant. "This is going to grow into a beautiful strawberry — just kidding. I pulled it off."
Instead of letting those early blossoms and buds grow, Joshua shows the audience how to pick them off the plant. "'Why did he do it?'" he asks. "... There's a reason; I'm not crazy."
How it's working
Joshua explains that this strawberry plant hasn't had enough of a chance to get established. "Any plant that's getting a new home, it takes a while for them to adjust," he says. "They look great. Under the soil, though, is really what matters, and I want the roots to grow strong and healthy."
To achieve that, Joshua removes flowers and buds before the plant can put too much energy into growing a berry. Instead, it can use that energy to establish a strong, wide root network that will improve the long-term health of the plant.
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"It's a little sad," he says. "... But there is some good reason behind it."
Growing your own food is good for your body and mind — not to mention your wallet. Fresh strawberries from the garden offer huge savings compared to those from the supermarket, and this hack will help you enjoy them for years to come.
Joshua goes on to say that new gardeners may want to skip this hack and just let their plants produce strawberries: "If … you are looking at your strawberry plant and it has a flower, and you are getting excited, and you just need that adrenaline rush, that satisfaction of harvesting something and eating it and you can't … don't do it. You can let that flower turn into a strawberry. I want you to taste that strawberry."
What people are saying
Commenters were fully on board with Joshua's plan.
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"Yes, they need to grow bigger crown before [they're] ready to flower and become fruit," one user said. "The bigger and stronger the crown, they will produce [higher] quality and bigger fruit."
"It's so hard to do that but so worth it in the end," another agreed.
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