How to grow Strawberry

Where to plant

Give strawberries full sun, ideally 8 hours a day, and rich, well-drained soil with a pH of about 5.8 to 6.5. Their roots are shallow, so they suffer in both drought and waterlogged soil; raised beds help where spring soils stay wet. Work in compost well ahead of planting.

Rotate the bed. Avoid ground where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, raspberries or strawberries grew in the last few years, as they host Verticillium wilt, which lingers in the soil. A bed freshly turned from lawn often carries grubs, so wait a year if you can.

• Florida: grow strawberries as an annual. Plant transplants from about September 15 to October 15 in North Florida, September 25 to October 25 in Central Florida, and October 1 to December 1 in South Florida. Pick from about December to March, then pull the plants as summer heat arrives.
• Gulf South, Texas and the Desert Southwest: plant transplants in fall (about October) for a spring crop; Texas can also plant in February.
• California: plant in fall in Southern California and late fall to winter in Northern California; Southern California can also plant in early spring.
• Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Plains and the Pacific Northwest: set out dormant plants in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. In the Southeast, fall-planted annual hills on plastic are also popular.
• Northeast, Midwest, Northern Plains, Mountain West and Alaska: set out dormant plants in early spring (April to May, May in the Northern Plains) so they root well before summer, and mulch with straw for winter.
• Hawaii: plant in spring or fall, best at cooler upland elevations.

Choosing a variety

• June-bearing varieties form their flower buds in the short days of late summer and fall and give one large crop over two to three weeks in late spring or early summer. They make many runners and are the main choice for northern matted-row beds.
• Everbearing varieties give a main crop in early summer and a lighter one in late summer and fall, with fewer runners.
• Day-neutral varieties are not strongly affected by day length and fruit through the summer in moderate weather. They suit containers and hill plantings.
• In Florida, choose UF-bred short-day varieties grown as annuals, such as Florida Brilliance, Sweet Sensation (Florida127) and Strawberry Festival; Sweet Charlie, Camarosa, Chandler and Selva are also grown there.
• Growing two or more varieties lengthens the season and can improve yields, though one variety pollinates itself.

How to plant

1. Buy certified disease-free plants from a nursery or garden center rather than taking runners from an old patch.
2. Trim any very long roots to about 4 to 5 inches and keep plants moist until planting.
3. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots, and set each plant so the roots are fully covered but the crown, where the leaves emerge, sits right at the soil surface. Too deep and the crown rots; too shallow and the roots dry out.
4. Space June-bearers 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart and let runners fill in a matted row. Space everbearing, day-neutral and Florida annual plants 10 to 18 inches apart in hills or double rows.
5. Water in well and mulch with straw or pine straw to keep berries clean and the soil moist.

Watering and feeding

Strawberries need adequate, consistent water, about 1 to 2 inches a week during flowering and fruiting. Drip irrigation or watering at the base keeps the fruit dry and reduces gray mold.

Work fertilizer into the bed before planting. For June-bearers, feed again after renovation in summer, which builds next year's crop; heavy spring feeding gives soft fruit and more rot. Florida annual plantings need regular, light feeding with a balanced fertilizer through the season.

Pruning and care through the year

• First year, perennial beds: pinch off all flowers on June-bearers so plants put their energy into roots and runners. For everbearing and day-neutral types, remove flowers for the first month or so, then let them fruit.
• Runners: in matted rows, let runners root to fill the row, but keep paths clear. In hill plantings and Florida annual beds, cut runners off as they appear.
• Renovation: right after the last harvest each year, cut the leaves of June-bearers to about 3 inches above the crowns, narrow the rows to 12 to 18 inches, thin plants, weed, feed and water. This keeps the bed productive for three or four years.
• Winter: in cold areas, cover plants with 4 to 6 inches of loose straw once they are dormant, after several days in the mid-20s °F, often around early December. Pull it back between the rows in spring when growth starts, and keep it handy to cover flowers on frosty nights.
• Frost: open flowers are killed by frost. In Florida and the South, cover plants with a lightweight frost blanket when a freeze is forecast.

Harvesting

Pick berries when they are fully red to the shoulders, in the cool of the morning, every day or two at peak. Strawberries do not sweeten after picking. Pinch or snip the stem rather than pulling the berry, and keep the green cap on.

Refrigerate unwashed berries in a single layer and use them within a few days, washing just before eating. Strawberries freeze well whole or sliced.

Growing in pots

Day-neutral and everbearing strawberries grow well in pots at least 8 inches wide, window boxes, hanging baskets and strawberry jars, as do Florida annual transplants. Use a good potting mix, keep it evenly moist, feed lightly every few weeks, and lift containers off the ground to deter slugs.

Propagation and saving seed

Strawberries spread by runners that root into daughter plants. Root a few healthy runners into pots to renew the bed, but replace the planting with new certified stock every few years, as old plants build up viruses and root diseases.