Strawberry Plant Project

 Week 1

Welcome to my strawberry plant blog! My plant’s home is on a small table on my eastern-facing balcony.

The biggest pro of this location for my plant is that it is outside. Unfortunately my apartment does not have any south-facing windows, but the balcony faces east, which is the second-best orientation for plants to get sunlight. I also believe that this is a better location for my plant than a window facing the same direction that gets more direct sunlight because my apartment is cold and my roommate has a cat that could interfere with it indoors.

However, there is a con to my balcony. The balcony is set into the building instead of protruding out, which means that it is shaded when the sun is directly overhead. Despite this, I know plants can do well in this location because my roommate has a small potted herb garden.

I am already seeing some growth after the first week! It looks like my balcony being shaded isn't inhibiting the plant from growing.

Week 2

My plant is still looking good! I'm surprised how how fast it has grown! I don't have the best track record with keeping plants alive, so I'm excited by how well it is doing.


Right before I left for spring break, I added some fertilizer to the pot and an ample amount of water so that it would hopefully stay healthy throughout the week. However, I was careful to not add too much since I don't want the dirt or plant to mold. 

Week 3/4

I was worried that my plant would die or become wilty over spring break since I left town and didn't have anyone take care of it, but it's still looking good! This is what it looked like Saturday morning, when I returned from my trip:


I added some water at the same time that I took this picture and will continue to monitor its condition. 

Week 5

One week since I've been back from spring break and my strawberry plant is still looking strong! 



Week 6

Not the best picture of my plant, but April has started and my plant continues to look good! Here it is getting some sunlight!


Week 7

This photo was taken on Saturday, April 12, and you can really see the difference! My plant has gotten so much taller just from week 5 to now! There are a couple of spots on the leaves on the left side of the picture which I hope doesn't mean anything bad for the future of my plant, but overall it's still looking good. 


Week 8

It's been pretty smooth sailing since I got my plant, but this week (the last week!) I ran into my first major problem... and it's not any of the things I thought might go wrong!

When I got home on Saturday from a day trip to the beach, I went to open the balcony door to hang my sandy towel over the ledge, only for my roommates to panic and yell to keep the door closed. Turns out, a wasp nest had appeared at the top of the window outside, not far from where the door opens. I put in a maintenance request to have the nest removed, but until they come, I can't get outside to water my plant. It's been doing so well, so I'm going to be so sad if it dies because of this. Hopefully maintenance gets here soon!


Bonus update:
Maintenance came! My plant was more wilty than normal and its soil was much drier than I had ever seen, but with watering and my keeping a close eye on it, it seems to be doing well again! I’m graduating and moving back to Kansas, so hopefully my plant survives the drive and can flourish in its new home!






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