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Strawberry Care:- Strawberries can be a very satisfying crop to grow, whether you eat them all yourself, sell them, or start a home-based jam business. While satisfying, they require some hands-on care and vigilance in order to thrive. Here are the most important care tips you'll need. @ Light, Soil, and Nutrients::-- Most garden strawberry plants prefer at least 6 hours of full sun, but alpine strawberries can enjoy some partial shade. Soil pH should be tested and nutrients adjusted a year before planting strawberries. Adding organic matter, such as compost or manure, improves the soil's nutrients, its aeration and drainage, and its ability to hold water and nutrients. The organic matter also feeds the micro-organisms in the soil. In the plants' first year, fertilize June-bearing plants weeks after planting and again in September, and thereafter fertilize just after fruiting has finished. Day-neutral plants prefer monthly feeding from June through September. Feeding the plants can be done by spreading dry fertilizer about 2 inches away from the plant, then raking it into the soil, and then watering. @ Watering::-- Although 1 inch of water per week is a typical regimen for strawberries, your irrigation will vary by the type of soil you have, temperature, and humidity. Do not allow the soil to become soggy, as the crowns will rot, but owing to their shallow roots, strawberries are vulnerable to water stress and should not be allowed to dry out, especially while producing fruit. In most locations, drip irrigation is the healthiest method and conserves water, and it allows you to set up fertigation—a system of distributing liquid or dissolved soil amendments via irrigation. A study carried out by the University of California Agriculture and Resources Department found that micro-sprinklers also produced healthy plants and excellent yields while still saving water.