Growing Strawberries

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Strawberries

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If you plan to enter the world of growing fruit, strawberries are one of the easiest fruit to grow and great for beginners. Plus, homegrown strawberries are far more flavorful than what you’ll ever find in a grocery store. Why? The sugar in berries converts to starch soon after they’re picked. Learn more about growing strawberries in the home garden.

About Strawberries

The best thing about strawberries is that they’re relatively easy to grow and maintain as long as you keep them in a location that gets full sun.

Strawberry plants come in three types:

June-bearing varieties bear fruit all at once, usually over a period of three weeks. Day-length sensitive, these varieties produce buds in the autumn, flowers, and fruits the following June, and runners during the long days of summer. Although called “June-bearing” or “June-bearers,” these strawberries bear earlier than June in warmer climates.
Everbearing varieties produce a big crop in spring, produce lightly in the summer, and then bear another crop in late summer/fall. These varieties form buds during the long days of summer and the short days of autumn. The summer-formed buds flower and fruit in autumn, and the autumn-formed buds fruit the following spring.
Day-Neutral varieties produce fruit continuously through the season, until the first frost: Insensitive to day length, these varieties produce buds, fruits, and runners continuously if temperature remains between 35° and 85°F (1° to 30°C). Production is less than that of June-bearers.

For the home garden, we recommend June-bearers. Although you will have to wait a year for fruit harvesting, it will be well worth it.

Planting

When to Plant Strawberries

Plan to plant as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. See your local frost dates.
Establish new plants each year to keep berry quality high each season. Strawberry plants will produce runners (daughter plants) that will root and grow into new strawberry plants.
Buy disease-resistant plants from a reputable nursery, of a variety recommended in your area. Consult with the nursery you buy them from or with your state Cooperative Extension service for locally recommended varieties.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

Strawberry plants require 6-10 hours a day of direct sunlight, so choose your planting site accordingly.
Strawberries are tolerant of different soil types, although they prefer loamy soil that drains well. Ideally, begin working in aged manure or compost a couple months before planting. If you have clay soil, generally mix in 4 inches or more of compost, and rake the clay soil into raised mounds to further improve drainage. If your soil is sandy, simply cultivate lightly to remove weeds, and mix in a 1-inch layer of rich compost or rotted manure.
Soil pH should be between 5.5 and 7. If necessary, amend your soil in advance of planting. If soils in your area are naturally alkaline, it is best to grow strawberries in half-barrels or other large containers filled with compost-enriched potting soil.
The planting site must be well-drained. Raised beds are a particularly good option for strawberry plants.
Practice crop rotation for the most success. Unless you plan to amend your soil each year, do not plant in a site that recently had strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant.

How to Plant Strawberries

Provide adequate space for sprawling. Set plants out 18 inches (1-½ feet) apart to leave room for runners and leave 4 feet between rows. Strawberries are sprawling plants. Seedlings will send out runners, which in turn will send out their own runners.
Make planting holes deep and wide enough to accommodate the entire root system without bending it. However, don’t plant too deep! The roots should be covered, but the crown should be right at the soil surface. It is very important that you do NOT bury the crown (central growing bud) of the plant or it could rot. The leaves, flowers, and fruit must be exposed to light and fresh air.
To settle their roots into the soil, water plants well at the time of planting.
It is also possible to grow strawberries from last year’s runners. See this video to find out how.

Check out this video to learn more about how to plant and grow strawberries:

Care

How to Grow Strawberries

Keep strawberry beds mulched to reduce water needs and weed invasion. Any type of mulch—from black plastic to pine straw to shredded leaves—will keep the soil moist and the plants clean. Read more about mulching.
Be diligent about weeding. Weed by hand, especially in the first months after planting.
Moisture is incredibly important to strawberries due to their shallow roots. Water adequately, about one inch per square foot per week. Strawberry plants need a lot of water when the runners and flowers are developing and again in the late summer, when the plants are fully mature and gearing up for winter dormancy.
Fertilize with all-purpose granules for strong growth. In warm weather, berries ripen about 30 days after blossoms are fertilized.
In the first year, pick off blossoms to discourage strawberry plants from fruiting. If not allowed to bear fruit, they will spend their food reserves on developing healthy roots instead, which is a good thing. The yields will be much greater in the second year.
Eliminate runner plants as needed. First and second generations produce higher yields. Try to keep daughter plants spaced about 10 inches apart.
Row covers are a good option for protecting blossoms and fruit from birds.

Strawberries. Photo by Yuriy S./Getty Images — *Photo by Yuriy S./Getty Images*

Winter Care of Strawberries

Strawberry plants are perennial. They are naturally cold hardy and will survive mildly freezing temperatures. So, if your area has mild winters, little care is needed.

In regions where the temperature regularly drops into the low twenties (Fahrenheit), strawberries will be in their dormant stage. It’s best to provide some winter protection:

When the growing season is over, mow or cut foliage down to one inch. This can be done after the first couple of frosts, or when air temps reach 20°F (-6°C).
Mulch plants about 4 inches deep with straw, pine needles, or other organic material.
In even colder regions, more insulating mulch should be added.
Natural precipitation should appropriately maintain sufficient soil moisture.
Remove mulch in early spring, after the danger of frost has passed.

Pests/Diseases

Gray Mold
Powdery Mildew
Japanese Beetles
Spider Mites
Slugs

Pest-Beating Tips

Keeping beds weed-free and using a gritty mulch can deter slugs and bugs. Spread sand over the strawberry bed to deter slugs. (This also works well for lettuce.) Pine needles also foil slug and pill-bug damage.
For bigger bugs such as Japanese beetles, spray your plants with puréed garlic and neem seed oil.
When birds threaten your strawberries, position balloons with scare-eyes above the beds and use reflective Mylar bird tape to deter them.

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Strawberries

Fruit is typically ready for harvesting 4-6 weeks after blossoming.
Harvest only fully red (ripe) berries, and pick every three days.
Cut by the stem; do not pull the berry or you could damage the plant.
For June-bearer strawberries, the harvest will last up to 3 weeks. You should have an abundance of berries, depending on the variety.

How to Store Strawberries

Store unwashed berries in the refrigerator for 3–5 days.
Strawberries can be frozen whole for about 2 months.
Watch our video on How to Make Strawberry Preserves!

Strawberry Bed. Photo by Ben Shuchunke/Getty Images
Photo by Ben Shuchunke/Getty Images

Recommended Varieties

Try planting more than one variety. Each will respond differently to conditions, and you will have a range of different fruits to enjoy.

‘Northeaster’ is best suited for the northeastern US and southeastern Canada. Fruit has strong flavor and aroma.
‘Sable’ is hardy to zone 3, early season, great flavor.
‘Primetime’ is a mild-flavored, disease-resistant variety, best adapted to the Mid-Atlantic.
‘Cardinal’ is a good variety to try in the South.
‘Camarosa’ is a good variety to try on the West Coast.
‘Tristar’ is a day-neutral variety that’s very well-suited for hanging baskets.

Learn more about choosing and growing different strawberry varieties.

Wit & Wisdom

Why Are Strawberries Called Strawberries?

One theory is that woodland pickers strung them on pieces of straw to carry them to market. Others believe that the surface of the fruit looks as if it’s embedded with bits of straw. Still others think that the name comes from the Old English word meaning “to strew,” because the plant’s runners stray in all directions and look as if they are strewn on the ground.

The June full Moon is called the Strawberry Moon because when this Moon appeared, it signaled that it was time to start gathering ripening fruit.

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Reader Comments

i have that same ? how much

i have that same ? how much does it need

I am new to gardening and did

I am new to gardening and did not realize that I should have renovated my plants after harvesting the few berries I got this year. It is now mid October in Wisconsin, is it too late to cut down the plants? Will this harm the plant since this should have been done months ago? Should I fertilize too?

I live in Wisconsin too and

I live in Wisconsin too and have the same question. I planted my strawberries this year and read that I shouldn't let them fruit in year one, so I cut off all flowers and have also cut off all runners. I also read that I shouldn't mow off the year one plants after the fruit is harvested (which I didn't harvest any). So now I can't find anything that tells me when I SHOULD cut back all the green and mulch them. I also planted June bearing and ever bearing so I'm not sure if I should cut back both types.

You can still cut back the

You can still cut back the tops of the strawberries above the crowns. Then add some fertilizer, high in nitrogen, and mulch with straw or something similar to protect the plants during the cold winter months.

i have 3 strawberry plants in

i have 3 strawberry plants in containers on my deck. how would i prepare them for the first frost? i dont want them inside the house in fear of bugs (spiders!) and should i still water them from now and all through winter and if not when should I stop watering them? last year i had 10 strawberry plants for summer and they died over winter. but i didnt know you had to prepare them. :-(

The easiest way to overwinter

The easiest way to overwinter containers is in an unheated garage or shed. Cover the pots with towels or other fabric to help protect the plants and maintain dormancy. Water the plants about once a month being careful not to overwater them. You can also sink the pots into a garden. No need to water them if they are outside.

It's the first of October and

It's the first of October and a friend just delivered strawberry plants to me. Problem is my bed is not ready to receive them. Should I go ahead and prep quickly and plant, or could they be put in pots and then plant them next spring?

Is it really necessary to cut

Is it really necessary to cut foliage down to 1 inch? I mean, can I not just leave the whole plants (with leaves attached) and mulch or cover with pine neddles over them? As an alternative to mulch/pine neddles, can I just cover the plants with weed mat as demonstrated and advised by some growers in youtube? I live in maryland where at times temperature are really cold during the winter season. Thank you.

It's recommended to cut or

It's recommended to cut or mow down June bearing strawberry plants after the last harvest. This will encourage more blooms and berries the next season. We are not familiar with covering the plants with a weed mat. We have always used straw or pine needles with good luck.

Wow, thanks a lot, I was not

Wow, thanks a lot, I was not really expecting a reply from you considering the volume of inquiries you receive daily! Again, thank you. A follow up question/clarification- would it be alright then to just leave the stems and leaves and cover them directly with straw/pine needles regardless of variety? I can no longer track down which are June-bearing and ever-bearing (I think there's a 3rd variety I planted), so I'll just cover them with straw/pine neddles? About half of my strawberry plants are on pots- will covering them with straw-pine needles do the job? Or do I need to put something extra (someone suggested bubble wraps, others some damp clothes/blankets) to cover and protect them from the cold?

There are different options

There are different options for the containers. You can gather the pots together and put them close to a wall, out of the wind, and then cover them with mulch, leaves, straw or pine needles. You can put the pots inside bigger containers and stuff leaves and mulch in the empty space between the pots. You can sink the pots into the ground and add mulch over them. Or you can put the containers in an unheated garage or shed with a blanket over them. If you do this remember to water a few times during the winter as they don't get any natural moisture from rain or snow.
Good luck!

awesome! thanks a lot.

I live in Florida. I

I live in Florida. I purchased 2 hanging baskets of strawberries & got a few berries. They now have runners, no fruit & not looking so great. I keep watering. Should I cover with more soil and wait for more fruit to come later or cut way back? Can I replant the runners into the existing hanging plant?
Thanks, Adele

Hi, Adele, Any time someone

Hi, Adele, Any time someone says that they "Keep watering," we become concerned. You may be watering too much. Even well-draining soil needs a pause, a brief dry time. Just as important, make sure the soil has slightly acidic pH (5.5 to 6.5) and provide 10-5-10 fertilizer once in a while. And, yes, remove the runners.
That said, apparently the best strawberry season in Florida is not summer but fall and spring. (Summer is probably typically too hot.) That, according to numerous Florida university gardening pages. Here are two:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdff...
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas...
We hope this helps.

Have grown day neutral

Have grown day neutral strawberries for years with bumper crops in fall. Since moving, the plants have bloomed in spring but not throughout the summer or fall. I have had them covered with netting since spring because of the rabbits & deer. What I could be causing the plants not to bloom? I water them adequately and they look healthy otherwise.

Hello - I am in Michigan and

Hello - I am in Michigan and it is August. I just bought some junebearing and everbearing plants on clearance. They are a good size and have lots of runners. I am building raised beds. Any advice on how far apart they should be and what to do with the runners? Anything else to consider?

Traditionally, planting

Traditionally, planting systems are matted row (June-bearing) or hill (everbearing/day-neutral). With raised beds and black plastic, the spacing can be different. You can search on the Web for the terms "plasticulture" and "strawberries" for more information about growing strawberries in raised beds.

About plasticulture:

http://extension.psu.edu/busin...

http://extension.psu.edu/plant...

http://extension.udel.edu/week...

Traditional spacing:

June-bearing strawberries: Usually planted in a matted row system. Plant about 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Runners are allowed to grow freely and form a thick mass of plants about 2 feet wide.

Everbearing: Usually planted in a hill system. Often planted 1 foot apart in 2 or 3 rows that are about 1 foot apart. Usually, a 2-foot-wide path is provided every 2 or 3 rows. Runners are removed.

For more information about growing strawberries, you might be interested in:

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/s...

http://www.extension.umn.edu/g...

http://extension.usu.edu/files...
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/p...

I think fish poop, you can

I think fish poop, you can buy would work great on these plants..thats what i am going to use, more organic..ty

strawberry plants: can i pull

strawberry plants: can i pull plants,dry them, and plant them at a later date????

ADVISE

Hi, Bob: Uh, no. Dry = dead.

Hi, Bob: Uh, no. Dry = dead. But if you keep the rootballs in a moist (but not too moist, as that will bring rot) medium (say, topsoil and sand) in a cool setting (say, cellar), you should be able to bring the plants out of dormancy once again.

Our strawberry plants are so

Our strawberry plants are so pale. We've put strawberry fertilizer on but no improvement. What are we doing wrong?

This could be related to

This could be related to water: Strawberries should be watered with a drip system. Root rot—what this sounds like—is caused by overhead watering. A lab test through your local cooperative extensivenight reveal the exact problem.
Then again, pale leaves could indicate that your soil's pH is too high for the plants. The desirable range for strawberries is a slightly acidic 5.5 to 6.5. A simple soil test can reveal the soil's pH.

I LIVE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK

I LIVE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK AND HAVE A STRAWBERRY PYRAMID I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL THE PLANTS AT THE END OF SUMMER. WHAT VARITIES COULD I USE AND WHARE CAN I BUY THEM AT THAT TIME OF YEAR?

I planted about 75 strawberry

I planted about 75 strawberry plants in the spring. They have been doing really well,but I noticed yesterday that something has been eating the leaves off about 7 plants. couple plants just have stemms sticking out of the ground .I dontt see any insects and I have never had any problems with animals in the past in my garden. what should I look for.

It's probably slugs. You

It's probably slugs. You won't see them. Go out late and night with a flashlight and you'll find these nocturnal pests. See our Pests library for tips: http://www.almanac.com/topics/...

Planted about 75 plants in

Planted about 75 plants in the spring they have been doing really well but I noticed yesterday about 6 plant are missing leaves just stems sticking out of the ground. I dont see any bugs on any plants I never have had any problems with animals in my garden I am in upstate ny

I'm in Colorado 80526 and

I'm in Colorado 80526 and have had great luck with the Laramie everbearing in a raised bed that has successfully included egglplants and tomatoes over the years. This 4th year I didn't do any spring maintenance and it was a sad crop indeed. I understand from your article I should dig them all up and start anew. However, the plants are so healthy, I hate to throw them out. Is it pointless to move them now? For crop rotation, what would you suggest now that it's almost July? I really want to grow strawberries there again. It's the perfect place. Thanks.

I personally would not give

I personally would not give up on them if the plants are good. It could be that you did not have enough water when the flowers were blooming and the berries were forming. Just care for them and over winter with pine straw (It really is the best). i am certain you will see a better crop next season. I have had a similar issue before, and they were fine for the next year's crop.

I live in Ohio, is it too

I live in Ohio, is it too late to start a garden with strawberries for harvest this summer/fall?

For traditional strawberries,

For traditional strawberries, early spring really is the best time to plant strawberry plants as long as soil is not too wet. Late-season varieties ripen in late May to mid-June.