Once you know how to grow strawberries, a bowl of the juicy, sweet-tart fruit is all the more enjoyable. And the best part is that it doesn’t take a green thumb to see red. Easy to grow in containers or vertical planters—think specialty towers and chic back-deck container gardens—strawberries don’t require much space, making them perfect for urban plots or small raised beds. Really, all you need is plenty of sunshine. And with temperatures dropping, now’s the time to start. Late summer to early fall, or August to September, gives the strawberry plants enough time to establish themselves throughout winter and fruit properly the first summer. So, delicious, homegrown strawberries are soon within your reach.
Ahead, garden experts share just how to grow strawberries at home, from planting advice to the best care tips.
How to Grow Strawberries
Step 1: Choose your plants
Start by deciding what type of strawberry you want to grow. They’re grouped into three main categories based on when they fruit:
- June-bearing: One main crop throughout a three- to four-week period in late spring or early summer. Popular varieties include Jewel, Honeoye, Allstar, and Chandler.
- Everbearing: Produce two main harvests, one in late spring and another in late summer. Ozark Beauty and Eversweet are popular varieties.
- Day-Neutral: Fruit consistently throughout summer and fall as long as temperatures are mild. Common varieties include San Andreas and Seascape.
You’ll also want to consider how you want to start your plant. You can grow from seeds, though it is a slower process and the plant likely won’t fruit in the first season. Instead, many gardeners opt to use bare-root plants, which are dormant crops that can be replanted.
Step 2: Choose a sunny spot
Once you’ve purchased your strawberries, pick a sunny spot in your garden. According to Carmen Perr of Carmen in the Garden, you’ll need to find a location that gets full sun for at least eight hours, no matter what strawberry variety you have.
You can grow strawberries in the ground or in pots. For Makena Degolier, farmer at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, growing in the ground is ideal, but it’s possible to grow strawberries in a container if you lack ample space, just be sure to aim for a nice wide pot or planter box with space for strawberries to spread out, she says.
Step 3: Add compost, dig, and plant
If planting in the ground, work two to three inches of compost or other organic matter into the top layer of soil. “Or add compost to the container [if planting in a container],” says Degolier. Then, you’re ready to dig. “Dig a wide, shallow hole and spread the roots out, then backfill so that the crown, the thick knobby base where the leaves emerge, sits right at soil level,” says Perr. You want the strawberry roots fully buried, but the crown fully exposed. Space the plants at least one foot apart from each other, giving the strawberry plants plenty of room.
