How to Grow Strawberries

Seven Methods:Choosing a strawberry varietyAnatomy of a strawberryGrowing strawb

erries in the gardenGrowing strawberries in a containerStarting strawberry plant
s from seedGrowing strawberry plants from runners (propagating)Strawberry calend
ar around the yearQuestions and Answers
Homegrown strawberries are full of flavor and freshness. As both a food and a de
corative plant, strawberries are perfect for growing in the garden or in contain
ers, and if you've got children, they'll find that strawberries are one of the e
asiest and most rewarding plants to grow. There are various choices to make when
growing strawberries choose according to what works best for you and the space you
have available.
Method 1 of 7: Choosing a strawberry variety
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Determine what variety of strawberry plant fits best with your needs. There
are two basic types of strawberry plants, namely summer producing strawberries a
nd perpetual (ever-bearing) strawberries. Summer producing strawberries can be b
roken down into early, mid and late summer plants. There are many varieties with
in each grouping of strawberries and some are likely to be very localized, so as
k your local garden center for more specific advice. Very generally, some of the
varieties are as follows:
Ever-bearing or perpetual strawberry plant: This is the most popular of
the strawberries because it keeps on growing for a good five or so years. It pro
duces a fair amount fruit throughout the year (outdoors in temperate climates, i
n an indoor container for colder areas). Both of these features make it a good c
hoice if you are looking for a continuous supply.
June fruiting bearing variety: This plant will provide you with one larg
e supply of strawberries in early to mid summer, depending on planting time (sum
mer crops will produce fruit about two months after planting). Purchase this var
iety if you're looking to cook with and/or freeze your harvest.
Day neutral strawberry plants: These are similar to ever-bearing but wil
l produce much smaller numbers of strawberries throughout the year. This is an i
deal variety if you're looking to eat strawberries fresh out of the ground.
Alpine strawberries: This strawberry plant is a very small types of stra
wberry. The fruit may be small but it's packed with flavor, making these strawbe
rries ideal for jam makers.
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Find the plants. Most garden centers will stock strawberry plants but if you
want a specific variety, you might need to check online or ask for specific sto
ck to be ordered in. It is always helpful to get the advice of the local garden
center as to what type of strawberry grows best in your local conditions.
It is best to buy strawberry plants at the exact time you intend to plan
t them into the ground or container. Leaving them for too long in their store-bo
ught pots can cause them to become root-bound, unhealthy and lacking in enough v
igor to grow well when replanted.
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Always inspect your potential plants for disease or signs of poor health. Yo
ur strawberry plants should have vibrant green leaves and are free from spots, b
rown edges, or wilted ends. The roots should be plentiful and very light in colo
r.
Consider purchasing disease-resistant strawberry plants. Though this opt
ion is generally more expensive, these plants are well-known for withstanding th
e numerous types of fungal diseases that strawberry plants are susceptible to.

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4
Decide where to grow your strawberries. Strawberries are happy in both garde
n beds or containers, provided you give them what they need by way of soil and f
ertilizer. It's up to you, take into consideration the space you have available
and the temperatures in your location. For example, if you want to grow strawber
ries all year round in a cold climate, consider growing them in a container that
can be easily moved indoors and outdoors during the different seasons.
Strawberries grow well in all but the most tropical of climates.
Method 2 of 7: Anatomy of a strawberry
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Understand that strawberries grow from the crown. This is what looks like th
e base of the plant before the roots start. This crown cannot be covered when pl
anting the strawberry plant, either in garden beds or containers. However, it sh
ould not be left too exposed either always check to ensure that the crown is sittin
g just above the soil.
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Note that you'll find strawberry seeds on the outside of the fruit. This is
a fairly unusual placement for seeds in fruit but it is part of what makes the s
trawberry such an interesting fruit. If you do intend to grow from seed, a secti
on has been provided below to help you do this.
Be aware that growing from seed can be tricky and it'll be a year before
the plant bears fruit.
Method 3 of 7: Growing strawberries in the garden
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Plant at the right time. This will be determined by the strawberry variety y
ou've chosen, so read the label or consult the retailer from whom you're purchas
ing the plants.[1]
Large fruiting varieties of strawberries are best planted in summer, usu
ally in the second month of summer and at the latest, by the first half of the l
ast month of summer.
Alpine strawberries are best planted during the second and third months
of spring.
Perpetual strawberries can actually benefit from an autumn/fall planting
rather than a winter planting, as this gives them more time to grow accustomed
to the new plot and establish a healthy root system. (This planting time is appr
opriate for gardens in temperate climate zones.)
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Choose a warm and sunny spot. Strawberries love areas that get a lot of dire
ct sunlight without shade. They also appreciate minimal wind. A strawberry plant
will produce strawberries in partial shade if need be but the crop will never b
e as prolific as a plant kept in full sun.
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Dig the soil over well. Add lots of compost to enrich the soil and remove an
y weeds, including the roots of weeds.
Strawberries like rich soil the most. If the soil is heavy clay or poor
sand, add well-decomposed organic material. Mulch after planting, to protect the
surface soil and to keep the strawberries clean.
If the soil is very acidic, add three quarters of a cup of dolomite per
square meter of complete plant food before planting.
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4
Remove the strawberry plant from the store container. Place the root ball in
to a bucket of water to soak for an hour or so. This helps to ease the shock of
the transition from pot to ground, and ensures that the roots stay moist enough.
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Dig a hole in the soil. Place the strawberry plant in the hole, keeping the
crown above the soil line.
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Press the soil firmly and gently around the base of the strawberry plant.
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Continue planting in the same way if you have other strawberry plants. Keep
each plant about 35 40 centimeter (13.8 15.7 in) apart. It making rows, keep the str
awberries about 90 centimeter (35.4 in) apart.
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8
Water regularly. However, don't overdo the water the shallow roots need water i
n hot weather but don't like being soggy. Avoid letting the soil dry out and avo
id making it into a mud bath! The time for a decent soaking is when the soil app
ears dry at the surface to about 1cm/ 1/2 an inch down (stick your finger in to
check).
Water the crown of the plant. Avoid watering fruit this can cause fruit to
rot.
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Use a liquid fertilizer to provide nourishment. Choose a fertilizer suited t
o strawberries.
Strawberry plants that are given water-soluble fertilizers that are high
in nitrogen will perform poorly, producing lots of leaf growth rather than focu
sing on bearing fruits. If you wish to use this type of fertilizer, minimize its
application.
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Pluck off the first flowers. By removing the first flowers that appear, you
will give the strawberry plant a chance to grow more vigorously and produce a st
ronger root system. Allow subsequent flowers to keep growing.
Runners are also best removed. If the strawberry plant is going to produ
ce these, you'll see them about a month into growing. Runners deplete the energy
of the strawberry plant, so keep them under control until the plant is well est
ablished. Later on, you can leave one runner to grow to establish new plants if
you're growing the strawberries in the garden but never let a plant have more th
an one runner at a time or it will be weakened and the energy will go into growi
ng plant rather than strawberries.
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Check regularly. The first signs that the strawberry flowers have turned int
o fruit will be small green strawberries. These will continue to grow and then t
urn red when they're ripe.
You may need to deal with the birds. Birds love strawberries too, and if
you discover that they're pinching the strawberries, you will need to create a
barrier. You can use fine garden mesh/strawberry net to throw over the plants; t
his will stop most birds from getting in to take the strawberries. Another optio
n is one for the birds and one for you. If the birds aren't too greedy, you can
leave some for them and take some for you; this tends to work best where the bir
ds are often scared off by something like a cat, the flash of something bright l
ike hanging CDs or noise.
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12

Harvest the strawberries. When the whole strawberry is red, it's ready to pi
ck. Take a bowl or basket to your plant or strawberry patch and pick straight fr
om the bush. Always pick so that the stem is left intact; hulling should occur o
nly when eating or preparing for a dish.
Give freshly picked strawberries a quick, gentle wash in cold water befo
re eating fresh.
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Continue to tend the plants. Strawberry plants are fairly hardy and they'll
continue to produce fruit year after year, for at least five years before they n
eed to be replaced. For overwintering in temperate climate zones, clear away wee
ds, straw, mulch, etc. and leave to grow untended. If it snows where you live, u
se container strawberries and bring them indoors.
Consider replacing strawberry stock every two years if you experience pr
oblems with viruses destroying the plants. Discard the old stock completely and
bring in new stock that is virus free.
Method 4 of 7: Growing strawberries in a container
Strawberries have very shallow roots, so it is easy to grow them in pots, both i
ndoors and out. You can place your strawberry plants on a balcony, patio or indo
ors in front of a sunny window. While potted strawberries can be planted any tim
e of the year, it is best to plant them in spring if they're going to be outdoor
s as well as indoors.
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Choose a potting container with drainage holes. Although you can buy special
strawberry pots that have multiple openings, it isn t absolutely necessary; straw
berries can grow and produce fruit in any container that has good soil and gets
enough sunlight.
Place broken terracotta or ceramics at the base of the container, or lar
ge pebbles/small rocks. These will help ensure good drainage.
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Fill the pot two-thirds full with potting mix. The strawberry pot should hav
e at least an 18 diameter. Even though strawberries have shallow roots, they do p
roduce runners that need some space to extend.
Strawberries thrive in soil that has a pH between 5.3 and 6.5, so select
a potting soil with that ratio. It s a good idea to keep your soil rich by adding
a handful of compost to the container once a month.
If growing in a tall and narrow unglazed strawberry jar, add a quarter p
eat moss before adding the soil, to increase the moisture-retaining ability of t
he jar.
If growing in a hanging basket, line the basket with sphagnum moss and u
se peaty soil. Again, this is to retain moisture for the plants. Sphagnum moss w
ill also allow for the plant to grow out the sides of the pot, which looks nice.
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Water the soil until the water starts to drain from the bottom of the pot. T
hen make 5 or 6 mounds of soil about 1 (25.4 mm) tall. Space the mounds at least
6 (152.4 mm) apart so that the runners will have room to roam. The mounds themsel
ves shouldn t be more than 3 (76.2 mm) wide.
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Gently lift your strawberry plants from their nursery pots. If necessary, cu
t the pot with scissors if the plant is wedged in too tightly. Carefully shake o
ff the extra soil while separating the delicate roots with your fingers.
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Fill a bucket or other container with water. Soak the strawberry roots for a
n hour, so they can absorb enough to keep them hydrated.
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Remove the plants from the soaking water and set a plant on top of each soil
mound. Arrange the roots so that they extend down the sides of the mounds.
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Fill the pot with more soil, bringing the soil to the level of the plant s cro
wn. The stems emerge from the crown, so don t bury it under the soil.
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Water the plants thoroughly. Continue to gently water until the pot begins t
o drain. (Add more soil if necessary the thorough watering will often collapse air
pockets and reduce the soil level.)
Use a watering can with a sprinkler attachment to avoid eroding the soil
.
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Done. The container can now be placed outside (hanging or sitting on the gro
und), or in a warm and sunny spot inside.
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Harvest when ready. Wait for a few to accumulate or simply eat them as they
ripen. How many you'll get per harvest will depend on the amount you've grown an
d the container's size.
Method 5 of 7: Starting strawberry plants from seed
While strawberry plants are usually grown from the young plant, it is also possi
ble to grow strawberry plants from seed.
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Purchase seeds at your local nursery or from an online source.
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Fill a container with soil and water it thoroughly.
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Use your finger to make 1/4" (6 mm) depressions in the soil, spacing the hol
es 6 (152.4 mm) apart.
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Place 3 seeds in each hole. The seeds are small; some people use tweezers to
transfer the seeds from the package to the soil.
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Cover the seeds. Tamp down the soil over each seed hole. You can simply pres
s your finger over the soil. Don't push too hard because that can cause the soil
to compact and the seeds will have to struggle to emerge.
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Use plastic wrap to cover the top of the planter. This will keep the soil mo
ist while the seeds germinate.
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Place the planter in a sunny location. The strawberries will benefit from a
warm spot with plenty of light. Put your planter near a radiator or other heat s
ource during the winter.

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Water the seeds. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Check the soil daily to
make sure it doesn't dry out.
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Remove the plastic wrap from the planter when the seeds have sprouted. Once
the seedlings reach the top of the plastic, they will need room to keep growing,
so don't leave the plastic on. The soil will dry out more quickly when it is un
covered, so check for dryness every day.
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Thin the strawberry plants after the seeds have sprouted. Do this by pinchin
g or snipping off the smallest plants. Leave about 6 (152.4 mm) between the remai
ning plants.
Method 6 of 7: Growing strawberry plants from runners (propagating)
Runners are the shoots that come from the main plant their whole purpose is to prod
uce new plants where possible. They can be used to grow new strawberry plants fo
r next year's planting season.
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Fill a container with soil. Place it next to the strawberry plant that is se
nding forth runners.
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Pick up the runner and push it into the pot of soil. Leave attached to the m
ain plant and cover only a portion of the runner the other side will need to stick
out over the pot to keep its balance.
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Let the runner sit attached like this for at least one month. During this ti
me, water regularly, at the same time as the mother plant; this is to keep the s
oil moist and encourage root growth.
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Separate the runner from the mother plant. After a month, cut the runner fro
m the mother plant use clean or sterilized garden snips to do this, so as to avoid
introducing a disease at the cut site.
Method 7 of 7: Strawberry calendar around the year
The following provides some basic advice on caring for strawberries through the
year. You'll need to make adjustments according to the variety, and if you live
in the Southern Hemisphere, you'll need to swap the months around:
Early winter (Dec-Jan): Weed around the strawberry plants, remove anything t
hat might encourage mold of fungal growth. Check to see if there is any need to
cover them.
Late winter (Jan-Feb): Seeds need to be sown at this time, in tubs, indoors.
Early spring (Mar-April): Prepare the plot for planting new strawberry plant
s. Fertilize existing strawberry plants.
Late spring (April-May): Plant the early-bearing strawberry plants; they may
need to be covered if it's still frosty but this needs to be balanced with remo
ving covers for pollination on warmer days. About end of April, plant mid- and l
ate-bearing strawberry plants. Remove runners and first flowers. Add anti-bird m
easures.
Early summer (June-July): Mulch around the strawberries. Keep well watered a

nd bird-free. Check for diseases and discard any unhealthy looking plants. Harve
st early bearing strawberries. Propagate new plants.
Late summer (July-Aug): Continue watering and propagating. Harvest mid- to late season and perpetual varieties. Make jam.
Early autumn/fall (Sept-Oct): Cut back old or straggly bits of the plants. F
ertilize for winter. Harvest any strawberries continuing to produce (usually per
petual).
Late autumn/fall (Oct-Nov): Tidy up perpetual varieties in readiness for ove
r-wintering.