Those who treat them as perennials should offer protection from summer-afternoon sun. Strawberries grown in beds are thinned in late October and November. They need good air circulation, so transplants should be spaced a foot apart in a well-draining, sandy, acidic soil. Fertilize often but lightly. Protect flowers from frost, or berry production will be delayed.
Netting keeps the birds away.
Mail garden questions to Kathy Huber, garden editor, Houston Chronicle, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, TX 77210. The bulk of mail prevents individual replies to each unpublished letter.