How to Grow Strawberries

Choose the type before you choose the plants

Strawberry varieties fall into three groups, and the group decides how you plant, space and care for them.

June-bearing (also called short-day) varieties form next year’s flower buds as days shorten in early fall, then produce one heavy crop of about three weeks in late spring. In Kansas that is mid-May to mid-June. They are the most widely grown type and the best choice if you want a large crop for freezing and jam.

Everbearing varieties give a spring crop and a second crop in late summer, with little in between.

Day-neutral varieties flower regardless of day length as long as temperatures stay below about 70°F, according to Utah State. They fruit in spring and again from late summer to frost, with smaller amounts in between. Heat shuts them down: Utah State notes they stop above roughly 75°F, so in hot-summer regions they behave much like everbearers. Many plants sold as everbearing today are actually day-neutrals.

A June-bearer gives the biggest single harvest. Day-neutrals spread a smaller crop over the season, fruit in their first year, and suit pots and small beds.

Varieties recommended by region

Extension services test varieties under local conditions. Pick from your own state’s list where you can.

• Midwest and Mid-Atlantic: Iowa State suggests June-bearers ‘Earliglow’, ‘Honeoye’, ‘Surecrop’, ‘Redchief’, ‘Allstar’, ‘Jewel’ and ‘Lateglow’, plus day-neutrals ‘Tribute’ and ‘Tristar’. University of Maryland adds ‘Annapolis’ and ‘Seascape’. Planting an early, a midseason and a late June-bearer, as K-State suggests, stretches the harvest over more weeks.
• Mountain West: Utah State lists ‘Allstar’ as tolerant of hot weather and ‘Jewel’ and ‘Sparkle’ as cold-hardy June-bearers. It warns that ‘Honeoye’ struggles on heavy soil and tastes off when it ripens in heat. ‘Ogallala’ (everbearing) and ‘Seascape’ and ‘Tribute’ (day-neutral) are also on its list.
• Southeast: UGA rates ‘Chandler’ and ‘Camarosa’ by far the best for fall-planted annual beds in middle and south Georgia. ‘Earliglow’, ‘Allstar’ and ‘Sweet Charlie’ are its picks for matted rows in north Georgia. NC State lists ‘Chandler’ and ‘Galletta’ for all of North Carolina, ‘Jewel’ for the mountains and Piedmont, and ‘Albion’ for the mountains.
• Florida: UF/IFAS names ‘Sweet Charlie’, ‘Camarosa’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Oso Grande’, ‘Selva’ and ‘Festival’.

Buy certified, virus-free plants from a nursery. Runners dug from an old bed usually carry viruses, root rot or nematodes, and once a plant is infected nothing cures it.

Site and soil

Full sun gives the biggest crop. Maryland asks for full summer sun and Utah State for at least eight hours a day. NC State says strawberries tolerate part shade, but expect fewer berries.

Drainage matters more than soil type. Leaf, root and fruit diseases build up in wet ground. If water stands after rain, build a raised bed; Maryland recommends at least 12 inches above grade for slow-draining soil. K-State gives a pH target of 5.8 to 6.5 and recommends soil with at least 2 percent organic matter. Utah State suggests working 2 to 3 inches of compost into the top 12 inches. Have the soil tested first. UGA also recommends a nematode test in Georgia.

Start a year ahead if the site is sod or weedy. Perennial weeds are almost impossible to remove once strawberries are in, and white grubs from old sod feed on the roots.

Two site choices prevent the most common failures:

• Avoid frost pockets. Cold air settles in low spots and kills the first blossoms, which produce the largest berries. Utah State suggests a north-facing slope or the north side of a fence, where late-winter shade delays bloom until frost is less likely.
• Rotate away from nightshades. Do not plant where strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant have grown recently. They share Verticillium wilt and root diseases. Iowa State says three years; UGA says five.

When to plant

In most of the country, set out dormant plants in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. K-State gives mid-March to early April for Kansas, Maryland gives March to early April, and Iowa State late March and April. Dormant crowns handle light frost, so there is no reason to wait for the last frost date. Check the dates for your zone above.

Where winters are mild, plant in fall instead. Plants get established in cool weather, flower in late winter and fruit in spring before summer heat ends the season. See when to plant strawberries for state-by-state fall windows.

How to plant

If plants arrive before you can set them out, keep the roots moist in a plastic bag and refrigerate at 32 to 40°F. Iowa State says they will keep for one to two weeks. Before planting, remove dead or old leaves. Trim long roots: Maryland cuts them to 4 to 6 inches, while K-State removes the lower third. Iowa State soaks roots in water for an hour, then plants right away. Roots that dry out even briefly can kill the plant.

Depth is the step most often done wrong. The crown, the short thick stem where leaves and roots meet, must sit right at the soil line. Bury it and it rots; leave it high and the upper roots dry out. Iowa State, K-State and Utah State all say to set the crown even with the surface, keeping as much of it above ground as possible. Maryland describes the same position as half the crown below the soil. Either way, the growing point in the center stays exposed and no roots show.

Fan the roots out, firm the soil, and water well. A starter solution helps the plants establish. Iowa State uses 2 to 3 tablespoons of water-soluble 10-10-10 or 5-10-5 per gallon of water, 1 to 2 cups per plant.

Spacing and growing systems

Matted row (June-bearers, colder regions): set plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Let runners root to fill a band about 12 to 20 inches wide, and keep it narrow. K-State notes most berries form along the edges of the row. Utah State finds 8 to 10 inches gives the best yield and fruit size, though 12 to 18 inches is easier to maintain.

Hill system (day-neutrals and everbearers): plants stay as single, large crowns and every runner is removed. Spacing varies by source. Iowa State uses 12 inches in beds of two or three rows, Utah State 12 to 15 inches, K-State 6 to 9 inches in single rows, and Maryland 5 to 9 inches. Removing runners forces each plant to build multiple crowns, and more crowns means more flower stalks.

Annual hill (the South and warm-winter areas): fall-planted transplants on raised beds covered in black plastic, harvested in spring and removed after harvest. UGA’s version uses beds 26 inches wide and about 8 inches high at the center, two rows 12 inches apart, plants 12 inches apart, and drip tape under the plastic. This keeps water off the fruit and leaves.

First-season care

On June-bearers, pinch off every blossom the first year. Check weekly; Iowa State says flowering should stop by early July. If berries are allowed to form, they cut root growth, runner production and next year’s crop. On day-neutrals and everbearers, remove flowers for the first 4 to 6 weeks, then let them fruit. K-State expects the first day-neutral berries around August 1 in Kansas.

Keep the soil loose and moist in a matted row so daughter plants root, and hoe shallowly. Most strawberry roots lie in the top 10 to 12 inches.

Water and fertilizer

Strawberries need about 1 inch of water a week, and more as fruit sizes up. K-State recommends up to 2 inches a week in July and August and reports that irrigation raises Kansas yields by 25 to 50 percent. UGA uses 1 to 1.5 inches. Drip or a soaker hose is best. Utah State warns that frequent overhead watering increases gray mold, so if you use sprinklers, run them in the morning so plants dry by afternoon.

Feeding is about timing, not quantity:

• June-bearers: fertilize after harvest, at renovation. K-State adds nitrogen in early to mid-August because fruit buds for next spring form in September and October, and vigorous plants set more buds. Avoid spring nitrogen on June-bearers. K-State links the dense, lush foliage it produces to gray mold.
• Day-neutrals: feed lightly once a month from May through September, Maryland advises. K-State also recommends early-spring nitrogen from the second year.

In alkaline Western soils, yellow leaves with green veins usually mean iron chlorosis. Utah State calls it the most common deficiency there and treats it with chelated iron in May and September. Strawberries are also very sensitive to salt, so do not overfertilize in arid regions.

Mulch, winter protection and frost

In summer, a thin layer of straw keeps berries off the soil and holds moisture. In winter, mulch protects crowns from extreme cold and from the freeze-thaw cycles that heave shallow roots out of the ground. Apply it after plants have had several frosts and stopped growing. Maryland’s cue is nights near 20°F; K-State’s is usually Thanksgiving to Christmas; Utah State’s is late November. Spread 3 inches of loose straw (Utah State allows up to 6 in the coldest areas) or shredded leaves. Avoid heavy materials like grass clippings, which smother the plants.

When new growth appears in spring, rake the straw off the plants and leave it between rows. From then on, open blossoms are easily killed by freezing temperatures. When frost is forecast, cover plants at sunset with blankets or row cover to hold in soil heat. Remove row covers just before bloom so bees can pollinate. Poor pollination gives small, misshapen berries. Texas A&M notes that frosted plants reflower, but the next fruit takes two or three weeks longer.

Harvest

Berries ripen about five weeks after bloom. Pick every other day, or daily in hot weather, early in the morning while fruit is cool. Pinch or twist the stem so the green cap stays on, which keeps the berry firm. The first berries on each stalk are the largest; later ones get progressively smaller.

Ripeness advice differs. Maryland suggests leaving fully red berries on the plant another day or two, and K-State says any white means unripe. UF/IFAS and Texas A&M consider berries ready at three-quarters red. All agree berries color after picking but do not sweeten. Refrigerate unwashed berries and use them within 3 to 5 days, rinsing just before eating.

Yields vary by system. K-State expects at least a quart per foot of well-kept row. Utah State expects 10 to 15 pounds a year from a 4-by-8-foot bed. UC IPM reports about a quart per plant from California summer plantings and a pint from fall plantings.

Renovate June-bearers right after harvest

Renovation keeps a matted row productive for three or four seasons:

1. Mow or cut leaves to 2 to 3 inches, just above the crowns.
2. Narrow the row with a tiller or spade to a band about 8 to 12 inches wide, keeping young daughter plants rather than the old mothers.
3. Thin what is left to one plant every 4 to 6 inches.
4. Fertilize, and K-State suggests adding an inch of soil over the crowns, because new roots form above old ones.
5. Water with ½ to 1 inch right away, and keep weeding.

When yields drop, plant a new bed elsewhere instead of renovating again.

Regional differences

Cold North: Spring planting, matted rows and winter mulch are standard. Iowa State calls strawberries hardy throughout Iowa, but the main risks are winter crown injury and spring frost on blossoms. Plants in raised beds and containers need extra protection because soil insulates them less.

Humid South and Gulf Coast: Anthracnose often kills matted rows during their first summer before they fruit, so UGA recommends fall-planted annual beds in middle and south Georgia. Gray mold is the most important fruit rot in wet springs. Plastic mulch, drip irrigation and narrow beds all help.

Arid West: Salty soil and water, iron chlorosis and heat are the issues. Day-neutrals stop fruiting in hot summers and resume in fall. Water deeply every 3 to 5 days in summer heat, Utah State advises, letting soil dry slightly between waterings to avoid root rot.

Warm-winter areas (zones 9-11): Grow strawberries as a fall-planted annual. In Florida, UF/IFAS expects the first berries 90 to 110 days after planting, and plants decline once summer heat arrives. Texas A&M recommends October planting, when days average about 72 to 75°F, and shade cloth about 5 feet above the plants to keep them cool. Spring-bought plants usually fail there because heat comes too quickly. UC IPM gives California planting windows from late July through November, depending on region and type, plus February and March for day-neutrals.

Problems and fixes

• Gray mold (Botrytis): gray fuzz on berries in wet weather. Keep rows narrow, mulch, water at the base, skip spring nitrogen on June-bearers, and remove infected berries in a sealed bag.
• Dead flowers after a cold night: frost-killed blossoms. Cover plants at sunset when frost is forecast, and choose a site above low ground.
• Plants wilting and collapsing in summer: Verticillium wilt or root rot. Rotate away from nightshades, improve drainage, and choose resistant varieties; K-State rates ‘Allstar’ and ‘Guardian’ resistant to Verticillium.
• Small, misshapen berries: poor pollination, frost on early flowers, or tarnished plant bugs feeding on buds. Control weeds, which shelter plant bugs, and remove row covers before bloom.
• Holes in ripe fruit: slugs, sap beetles or spotted-wing drosophila. Pick every other day and remove overripe or damaged fruit.
• Missing berries: birds and squirrels. Cover rows with netting anchored to the ground, as UGA advises, since birds walk under loose edges.
• Crowns heaved out of the soil in spring: freeze-thaw damage. Mulch at the right time next fall and press heaved plants back in early.