Strawberry Growing Guide

If you're reading this guide, we assume you love strawberries and plan to grow them in your garden. Right?

Strawberries are a delicious addition to any garden and are sweeter and juicier than the ones you buy from stores. They are a lovely treat all summer long. Whether you have a large backyard garden or a small balcony, strawberries can grow in containers, hanging baskets, or traditional garden beds. However, these plants require proper care and attention for a bountiful harvest, like any crop. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about growing strawberries, from choosing the best variety and planting to picking the ripe fruit. So, let's get started!

Strawberry Plants: Quick Overview

Before going into the details, let's briefly overview these perennial plants!

Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) are loved globally for their tasty, aromatic, and healthy fruit. You can enjoy them from fresh off the plant to baked into pies and cakes in various ways. Easy to plant, strawberries are the first fruits to grow in the spring. Whether you have a spacious patch or just a small border, you can grow your own strawberry plants. They have different varieties that can grow well in cool and warm climates. Planting different varieties allows you to enjoy home-grown strawberries from early summer to autumn.

Read on to choose the best variety for your garden!

Types of Strawberry Plants

Here are the most grown varieties of strawberry plants!

June-bearing/Summer-bearing Strawberries: This type is the most common and produces the largest fruit. They have a short but intense growing period of over three weeks. Plants are available for early, mid, and late-summer fruiting, providing harvests from early to mid-summer. Some popular June-bearing varieties include Honeoye, Earliglow, Chandler, and Allstar.

Everbearing Strawberries: They are also known as perpetual or all-season strawberries. These varieties produce multiple crops throughout the growing season, from early summer until the first autumn frosts. There is a large crop in spring, followed by smaller crops in summer and fall. Their smaller berries are perfect for jam or freezing. Seascape, Quinault, Ozark Beauty, and Albion are popular everbearing varieties.
Day-neutral Strawberries: Unlike June-bearing and everbearing varieties, day-neutral strawberries produce fruit continuously throughout the growing season, regardless of day length. These varieties consistently produce buds, runners, and fruits within a temperature range of 1°C to 30°C (35°F to 85°F). They are ideal for gardeners who want a steady supply of strawberries from spring to fall. 'Tristar, 'Tribute,' and 'Seascape' are popular day-neutral varieties.
Alpine Strawberries (Fragaria vesca): These plants, also known as woodland or wild strawberries, produce sporadically small but intensely flavorful berries throughout the summer. These low-maintenance plants are perfect for topping cereal and require less attention than larger strawberry varieties. Once established, they serve as attractive edging plants and spread to create helpful ground cover.

We recommend June-bearing strawberries for home gardens despite the one-year wait for fruit. The harvest is well worth the patience.

Soil Requirement and Preparation

After choosing the plant variety, the next step is to test your soil and prepare it for planting strawberries.

Strawberry plants prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8. To give the plants a strong start, add a few buckets of well-rotted manure or garden compost.

If your soil is too alkaline, we recommend planting strawberries in big containers filled with good-quality soil. Add lots of compost, leaves, or sawdust to heavy clay soil before planting. Remove weeds if your soil is sandy and mix in a 1-inch layer of compost or rotted manure. Raised beds are also a great option for strawberry plants.

Avoid planting strawberries in soil that has recently grown tomatoes, peppers, or other members of the nightshade family members, as they may harbor diseases that can affect strawberries. Additionally, consider planting garlic alongside strawberries. They make good companions and can help deter pests like spider mites.

Spacing Requirement

After preparing the soil, the next step is to consider the spacing requirements for plants. If you're planting strawberries in rows, plant them 12 to 18 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart. This spacing allows for adequate air circulation and enough room for the plants to spread. Planting strawberries in rows will also make it easier for you to control weeds and pests.

If you're planting in hanging baskets or containers, space plants 8 to 12 inches apart.

Many strawberry varieties, like June-bearing, produce runners, so we recommend spacing them 18 inches apart. However, some varieties produce few or no runners and can be spaced just 6 inches apart. Be sure to check the plant tag for specific spacing instructions.

Growing Zones and When to Plant Strawberries

Strawberries can grow in warm and cold climates but prefer cold temperatures and long daylight hours. They grow best in Zones 3-11, which cover most of the United States. Depending on your growing zone, the best time to plant strawberries is early spring or late fall.

If you live in zones 3 to 8, plant strawberries in early spring so they have enough time to root themselves before winter. You can also plant strawberries in late summer for a fall harvest.

On the other hand, if you live in warmer climates (zones 9 -11), you can plant strawberries in the fall for a winter harvest or in late winter for a spring harvest.

Moreover, consider your area’s average last frost date and the specific requirements of the variety you're growing for a bountiful crop of sweet and juicy berries.

How to Plant Strawberries

After preparing the soil and determining the best planting time in your region, the next step is to plant your strawberries. Here are some expert tips about how to grow strawberries!

Choose the Plants: Choose healthy plants from a reputable nursery or garden center. You can plant strawberries from potted plants, bare-root crowns, or runners (baby plants produced by mature plants).
Choose the location: Choose a sunny location with at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. Avoid planting near large trees whose roots can compete with strawberries for water and nutrients and can also block sunlight most of the day.
Dig Holes: Use a trowel to dig holes slightly larger than your strawberry plants' root ball. Make sure to space the holes about 18-24 inches apart in rows 3-4 feet apart.
Planting: After digging a hole, gently remove the strawberry plant from its container or packaging. Place the plant in the hole so the crown (where the stems emerge from the roots) is level with the soil surface. Be careful not to bury the crown too deeply, causing rot.
Backfill: Fill the hole around the roots with soil, gently pressing it down to remove any air pockets. Make sure the roots are covered, but the crown is not buried.

Watering

After planting, water the strawberry plants thoroughly to help settle the roots. Strawberries require 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week through rainfall or supplemental irrigation. If you're growing strawberries in containers, especially hanging baskets, you'll need to water them regularly, even if it's not sunny, because the soil in the pot dries out fast.

Avoid watering the crown and fruit to prevent fungal diseases like gray mold. Water early in the day so the leaves can dry before it gets dark, which will also help prevent leaf diseases.

One effective way to irrigate strawberries is to install a drip irrigation system beneath a layer of mulch. To set up an irrigation system for strawberries, use our drip lines or soaker hoses along the length of the planting row. This system delivers water directly to the roots and conserves water.

Mulching

Cover your strawberry beds with mulch to reduce water needs, suppress weeds, and keep the fruit clean. Straw or shredded leaves are excellent mulch options.

Fertilizing

Strawberries require proper fertilization for healthy plants and bountiful harvests. Use a high-potassium liquid tomato feed every two weeks during the growing season to promote flowering. More flowers mean more fruit! Additionally, apply our organic, all-purpose fertilizer in early spring to support plant growth as they begin their active growth phase for the new season.

Winter Care for Strawberry Plants

Strawberry plants are hardy perennials that can tolerate mildly freezing temperatures. However, we recommend providing winter care in regions where temperatures drop below freezing.

During the dormant stage, trim the foliage to one inch after the first couple of frosts or when the air temperature reaches 20°F (-6°C). Cover the plants with 4-inch organic materials like straw, pine needles, or other insulating mulch. Add more mulch or floating row covers in colder climates to protect strawberry plants from winter frost. Remember to remove the mulch in early spring once the frost risk has passed.

How to Harvest Strawberries

Harvesting ripe strawberries at the peak of flavor is the most rewarding step. Pick strawberries with a gentle tug when fully ripe, deep red, and easily detach from the stem. Harvest every three days. Usually, you can start picking fruit about 4 to 6 weeks after the flowering. For the best flavor, try picking your strawberries on a warm afternoon. Use scissors or a knife to cut the stem. Don't pull, or you might crush the berries. If you're growing June-bearing strawberries, expect the harvest to last up to 3 weeks.

How to Store and Use Strawberries

Eat freshly picked strawberries as a delicious snack, or add them to salads, pies, cakes, and smoothies. You can keep unwashed berries in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you want to store them longer, you can freeze whole strawberries for about two months.

Life Cycle of Strawberry Plants

Strawberries are perennial plants, which means they will grow year after year if properly cared for. In the first year, these plants will produce a small crop of berries. In the second and third years, you can get a larger harvest, after which you need to replace them with a new plant. Here's the life cycle of a strawberry plant.

Dormancy: During winter, strawberry plants go dormant, shedding their leaves and storing energy in their crowns.
Spring Growth: As temperatures warm in spring, strawberry plants grow new leaves and flower buds.
Flowering and Fruit Development: In late spring to early summer, strawberry plants produce flowers, which bees or other insects pollinate. The flowers then develop into strawberries over several weeks.

Pro Tip: Remove blossoms in the first year to prevent fruiting. This encourages the plants to focus on developing strong roots, leading to better yields in the second year.

Propagation: After bearing fruit, many strawberry varieties produce runners—long stems that extend outward from the parent plant. At the tips of these runners, tiny plantlets, or daughter plants, form. You can use these plantlets to grow more strawberries by simply pinning them down to the soil, allowing them to take root. Once they have established roots, you can cut them from the mother plant and transplant them to a new location.
Rest Period: Towards the end of summer, strawberry plants enter a period of rest as the fruiting season wanes. It allows the plants to store energy and prepare for the fall season.
Regrowth: Strawberry plants begin to sprout again when fall arrives. With proper maintenance, such as weeding and light watering, both parent plants and their offspring (propagated plantlets) undergo a growth spurt. This rejuvenation period prepares the plant for the next season's growth and fruiting.

Common Diseases and Care

Despite their resilience, strawberries are susceptible to certain pests and diseases. Here are some common issues and how to care for your plants:

Slugs and snails: These critters love strawberries. To keep them away, spread organic mulch, like straw, around your plants or try organic pest control techniques.
Birds: Birds, such as robins, blackbirds, and brown thrashers, can be major pests to strawberries, particularly when the berries start to ripen. To keep them away, cover your plants with lightweight bird netting.
Gray mold (Botrytis): This fungal disease can ruin ripening fruits, especially in wet conditions. Water your plants in the morning to allow them to dry out and avoid splashing water onto the fruit. Keep the area around your plants clear and remove any damaged fruits promptly.
Verticillium wilt: This soil-borne fungal disease can affect strawberries, causing wilting and stunted growth. Plant disease-resistant varieties, rotate crops, and remove and destroy infected plants to prevent and control this disease.
Powdery mildew: Your plants may develop white, powdery spots on the leaf surfaces. Keep the soil moist, remove affected leaves, and space out your plants for better airflow.
Vine weevil: These pests can cause severe damage, particularly to strawberries in pots. Handpick adult weevils and squash them. Consider using biological control methods to kill the larvae.

Conclusion

There you go! From choosing the best variety and planting to picking your red ripened strawberries, this guide has provided all the necessary information any beginner or experienced gardener may need. By following the tips and guidelines outlined above, you can enjoy fresh, tasty strawberries throughout the summer. So, put your gardening gloves on and start growing your own strawberries today