How to grow Strawberries

Learn how to plant and grow Strawberries in your garden with this easy guide. Includes information on sun requirements, feeding, harvesting, and pests.

Strawberry plants prefer rich, well draining soil with plenty of compost mixed in. 

Plant Strawberries in a full sun to afternoon shade position. 

Yes, Strawberries are frost tolerant, however will go dormant in winter. 

Plant Strawberries roughly 30cm apart. 

Strawberries grow well in temperatures below 30°C. They are generally planted in autumn, however can also be planted whenever you see them in the nursery. 

Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball. The hole should allow the plant to sit at the same level in the soil as it was previously. Fill the hole with soil ensuring the crown of the plant, where roots and stem meet, is level with the soil surface. 

Plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn.  

Top-dress established Strawberry plants with rich compost in autumn and early spring. Regularly apply an organic fertiliser and seaweed solution throughout the season. Water plants regularly and don't let the soil dry out, particularly when they are forming fruit. Water more frequently if growing in pots or hanging baskets. 

Harvest Strawberries when the fruit has turned red.  

Pests that affect Strawberries include: Spider Mites, Aphids, Slugs, Snail, Thrips, Armyworm, Japanese Beetle, Weevils. 

Diseases that affect Strawberries include: Angular Leaf Spot, Leaf Scorch, Anthracnose, Gray Mold, Leaf Spot, Phomopsis Leaf Blight, Powdery Mildew, Red Stele, Rust, Weevil. 

Strawberries generally fall into 3 categories: June-bearing, Evergreen and Day-neutral.

-June-bearing plants commonly produce larger fruits over 3 weeks, typically in early summer or late spring, beginning the second year after planting.

-Evergreen varieties produce 2-3 crops of fruit per year. One in spring to early summer, another in mid summer (in cooler climates) and the final crop in late summer to early autumn. Fruiting begins the second year after planting.

-Day Neutral varieties will produce smaller fruit, however will continue producing as long as temperatures stay roughly between 2–30°C (35–86°F). Day Neutral varieties will produce in their first year.   

Strawberries will not flower or fruit if the temperature is too low or too high. Depending on your climate you may not actually be able to tell the difference between any of these three categories and the fruiting time may even change drastically depending on your location. 

Strawberry Runners: The long trailing vines growing from your strawberry plants are called 'runners', these runners are the plants way of multiplying. To maintain good fruit production it's best to trim off these runners to direct the plants energy into producing more fruit, rather than more plants. If you would like mores strawberry plants, you can allow these runners to root into the ground. Once they have rooted, you can snip the runner off from the main plant and either leave the new plant there, or move it to a different location. Using this method, you will have a continuous supply of strawberry plants. Strawberry plants tend to produce well for three years, after that it is best to replace the plants to maintain maximum fruit yield. 

Use straw, sugar cane mulch or plant in hanging baskets to prevent the Strawberries from coming into contact with the soil. Fruit that sits on bare soil is prone to fruit rot, mold and pest attacks. Protect the fruit from pests by using exclusion bags or netting.