How to Grow Strawberries: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
If you’ve ever tasted a homegrown strawberry, you know there’s nothing quite like it. Store-bought berries just can’t compare to the sweetness and juiciness of one picked fresh from your own garden. The good news? Strawberries are surprisingly easy to grow! Whether you have a large garden bed or just a few pots on a patio, these little berries can thrive with a bit of care and attention.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about growing strawberries, from choosing the right type to managing runners and boosting your harvest.
Types of Strawberries & Which One to Pick
Before planting, it’s important to choose the right type of strawberry for your garden. There are three main types, each with its own pros and cons.
June-Bearing Strawberries
- Pros: Produces a large harvest all at once, great for preserving or big strawberry feasts.
- Cons: Only one harvest per year, typically in early summer.
- Best for: Gardeners who want a big harvest for making jam, freezing, or fresh eating.
Everbearing Strawberries
- Pros: Produces two or three smaller harvests throughout the season.
- Cons: Less overall fruit compared to June-bearing varieties.
- Best for: Those who want a steady supply of fresh berries throughout the season.
Day-Neutral Strawberries
- Pros: Continues to produce berries throughout the growing season.
- Cons: Yields tend to be smaller, but you’ll get fruit continuously.
- Best for: Gardeners who want fresh strawberries for an extended period rather than all at once.
If you’re unsure which type to plant, consider growing a mix! This way, you can enjoy strawberries throughout the season while also getting a big harvest from your June-bearers.
Where & How to Plant Strawberries
Strawberries love full sun, so choose a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. They also prefer well-draining soil, as they don’t like to sit in waterlogged areas. Raised beds or containers are excellent choices if your soil tends to stay soggy.
Planting Tips:
- Space them out. Strawberries need room to spread, so plant them 12-18 inches apart.
- Don’t bury the crown. The crown (the thick part where leaves grow) should be just above the soil line to prevent rot.
- Mulch is your friend. A layer of straw, pine needles, or mulch helps keep weeds down and prevents the berries from sitting in the dirt.
Managing Runners: What to Do with Those Spreading Vines
Strawberries love to send out runners, which are little offshoots that try to establish new plants. While this is great for expanding your strawberry patch, it can also reduce the energy the plant puts into producing fruit.
How to Handle Runners:
- If you want more plants, allow some runners to root in the soil. Once established, you can cut the connection to the mother plant.
- If you want better fruit production, trim off most runners so the plant focuses on growing berries rather than spreading.
- In the first year, it’s best to remove all runners so your plants establish strong roots.
How to Get the Best Strawberry Yields
If you want baskets full of juicy berries, here are some tips to boost your harvest:
- Fertilize Wisely: Strawberries love a balanced fertilizer, but too much nitrogen can lead to lots of leaves and fewer berries. Use a fertilizer with phosphorus to encourage fruit production.
- Keep Them Hydrated: Strawberries need about an inch of water per week, especially when they’re producing fruit.
- Rotate Your Crops: Avoid planting strawberries in the same spot year after year to reduce disease issues.
- Protect from Birds & Pests: Birds love strawberries as much as we do! Use netting or row covers to keep them from stealing your fruit.
Growing Strawberries in Containers
Don’t have a big garden? No problem! Strawberries do great in pots, hanging baskets, and vertical planters.
Container Growing Tips:
- Use a pot at least 12 inches wide with good drainage.
- Choose day-neutral or everbearing varieties since they’ll produce fruit throughout the season.
- Water more frequently, as containers dry out faster than garden soil.
Winter Care: Keeping Your Strawberries Happy in the Cold
If you live in a colder climate, you’ll need to protect your strawberries in winter so they come back strong in spring.
- Mulch heavily with straw or pine needles after the first hard frost to insulate the roots.
- In containers, move plants to a sheltered area or insulate pots with burlap or blankets.
- In early spring, remove the mulch so plants can start growing again.
- I have never taken any extra steps to overwinter my strawberries in Zone 6B and they always come back! Not to make any promises others will have the same success but a note of encouragement if adding in winter care seems too overwhelming it might not be necessary.
My Final Thoughts:
Strawberries Are Worth It!
Growing strawberries takes a little effort, but once they get going, they’re one of the most rewarding crops you can grow. The best part? Once established, strawberry plants can last for several years with the right care.
So whether you’re planting a whole bed of June-bearers, trying your hand at everbearing varieties, or just popping a few plants into a hanging basket, you’ll soon be enjoying delicious, homegrown strawberries.