How to Grow Strawberries for the Sweetest, Juiciest Fruit

Anyone who has ever grown their own food knows how much better it tastes when it’s picked straight from your garden, and that’s doubly true for strawberries. Home-grown strawberries can taste much sweeter than those you buy in the store since you can wait until they are ripe and juicy to pick them.

Plus, you can select varieties that prioritize taste over commercial considerations like size and durability. Even better? Strawberries can be perennial, meaning they come back each year without the need for replanting, depending on your location and USDA hardiness zone.

Strawberries are fairly easy to grow, so long as their sunlight, soil, water, and temperature needs are met. To help you yield delicious fruits right in your backyard, we spoke to experts who shared their tips for growing strawberries at home.

Strawberry Varieties

There are three types of strawberries you can grow at home, according to Taylor Montgomery, farmer and executive chef at Urban Wren in Greenville, South Carolina. He says that each of these three types includes many different types. 

• June-bearing strawberries: This strawberry variety can be harvested all at one time, and you’ll be able to tell them from some of the other varieties due to their large size. 
• Everbearing strawberries: You can expect a couple of harvests throughout the season from everbearing strawberries. Montgomery says this variety's berries are on the smaller side. 
• Day-neutral strawberries: These are similar to everbearing strawberries without the daylight requirements, says Montgomery.

Montgomery says he likes to plant more than one type of strawberry on his farm, depending on each year’s planting rotation. "Eversweet everbearing strawberries work well in a larger space—I plant ours in the field due to their ability to withstand the heat of summer, their resistance to disease, and because the root system works well for the soil type in Western North Carolina," he says.

When to Plant Strawberries 

Early spring (March or early April) is the best time to plant strawberries, once the soil has warmed up a bit (as long as it is not too wet). June-bearing strawberries can be planted in the fall and harvested the following spring, according to Montgomery. "Everbearing and day-neutral varieties can also be planted as early as December for a spring harvest," he says, depending on your hardiness zone. 

Planting Tips

Giving strawberry plants enough room to grow is essential. Montgomery says that your strawberry rows should be about 24 inches wide and mounded 6 inches high. "The rows should be 3 to 4 feet apart to allow ample room for walking and for plants to spread," he says.

Also important is how deep the crown is planted. If strawberry crowns are planted too deeply, the leaves may not emerge from the soil. If planted too shallow, the plants can lose moisture and die. If growing a plant bought from a nursery, dig a hole the same depth as the plant was in the container.

How to Care for Strawberries 

Consider these tips for growing healthy, delicious strawberries at home.

Soil

For strawberries to thrive, the soil should be tested and amended to keep the pH between 5.5 and 6.5. "Mature compost should be worked into the top 6 inches of soil before planting for vigor in growing and continued to be added throughout the season," Montgomery says.

Water

Strawberries need at least an inch of water a week to produce juicy berries. A good indicator that your strawberry plants need a drink is if the soil feels dry to the touch.

Light

Strawberry plants need at least eight hours of full, direct sunlight each day. (If you're growing these plants indoors, place them somewhere they'll receive bright, indirect light or use grow lights.)

Fertilizer

Strawberries aren’t super heavy feeders, so you can use a balanced N-P-K fertilizer (10-10-10 and 20-20-20 are both good options), remembering to feed in early spring and then again when their fruits start to appear. 

Temperature

Strawberries thrive in mild to warm conditions. These plants need temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit in order to thrive and produce fruit.

Mulch

To maintain healthy strawberries, Montgomery places a sterile straw around the plants and then applies an additional layer of mulch on top. This retains moisture and acts as a weed barrier. "One tidbit to keep in mind when planting strawberries in cold weather is that a covering will be needed," he says. "Mulch, temporary cold frames, or tunnel row coverings are all acceptable and useful in this application."

Strawberry Companion Plants

Growing your strawberries next to the right neighbors can also lead to a more successful harvest. "Companion planting is another strategy that can enhance the success of your strawberry crop," says Michael O’Brien, founder of Hommes + Gardens. "Thanks to their shallow root system and compact size, strawberries can be strategically placed throughout your garden, acting as beneficial companions to a variety of plants."

Plant strawberries near herbs like basil or thyme to deter pests and attract beneficial insects. "Alternatively, placing strawberries near onions or garlic can help repel pests while enriching the soil," O'Brien says.

How to Prune Strawberries

Pruning strawberries is essential to increasing fruit production and encouraging overall plant health. Montgomery says to remove the flower buds and additional runners of first-year plants so that the plant can establish itself within the soil for a more fruitful harvest in the second season. After the first year of growth, remove most of the foliage from short-day plants in fall and remove older, browning foliage from day-neutral strawberries. Also, cut away any areas of the plant that are overcrowded to prevent disease.

How to Propagate Strawberries

One of the benefits of cultivating strawberries at home is the opportunity to propagate them through their runners. "Runners are specialized stems that grow outward from the main strawberry plant, developing small plantlets or 'offshoots' at their tips," he says. "This propagation method mimics the way strawberries spread in nature, allowing them to reproduce and establish new plants."

To propagate strawberries using runners, O’Brien says to follow these steps:

1. Identify healthy runners by looking for long, slender stems extending from the main strawberry plant with healthy offshoots at their tips.
2. Prepare the offshoot for propagation by gently separating the offshoot from the mother plant while keeping its roots intact using scissors or a small gardening knife.
3. Dig a small hole in the soil for the offshoot. Plant the offshoot in the hole, ensuring the roots are well-covered but the crown (where the plant meets the roots) is slightly above soil level. Firmly press the soil around the offshoot to secure it in place.
4. Water the newly propagated strawberry offshoot thoroughly to help it establish roots.
5. Mulch around the plant to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
6. Monitor growth by keeping an eye on the propagated offshoot as it establishes itself in its new location.

How to Harvest Strawberries 

Strawberries are ready to be harvested when they are completely red, and there is no sign of white or green on the berry. "Typically, when the fruit first appears, they are very small and green. As they grow bigger, they start to turn white, then into red, indicating they're ready to harvest," says Sarah Warner, greenhouse manager at the Case Western Reserve University Farm. While it won't hurt to pick strawberries with a little bit of white, the berry may taste bitter. "Be sure to pick strawberries as soon as they are ready, as they go bad within a day or two after ripening," Warner says.

The best way to pick strawberries is by taking the stem between two fingers and pinching until the stem breaks, says Warner. You can also use hand shears to make this easier. "It really depends on whether you would like one or two hands to harvest," she says. "I personally find it easier to use one hand to pinch and pull the stem of the strawberry while holding a container in the other hand, making harvesting much faster."

How to Store Strawberries

Berries need to be completely dry before storing them, or you run the risk of mold. "The shelf life of strawberries can be extended by soaking them in white distilled vinegar for two minutes," says Warner. Then rinse them off and put them in a cool, dry location. "Placing a paper towel at the bottom of a mason jar will help to absorb any excess moisture, and storing them in an airtight mason jar with a lid will greatly extend the shelf life," says Warner.

Growing Strawberries in Containers

You don’t need to own a big farm to have a bumper strawberry crop. "Don't let limited space deter you from growing strawberries; they're perfectly suited for container gardening, making them an excellent choice for urban growers," says O’Brien.

When growing strawberries in containers, the care is relatively the same. Ensure these plants are grown in rich, well-draining soil and receive ample sunlight. You may need to water container-grown strawberries more than those planted in the ground, as containers dry out faster. If growing strawberries in containers indoors, your biggest concern will be pollination. Use a small brush to dab pollen from the outer stamens to the center blossom to mimic pollination.

Common Problems

One of the most common issues with strawberries is seeing flowers but no fruit, which can be caused by a lack of pollination, poor soil, nutrient deficiency, or pests. "It is always important to inspect your plants at least once a week for pests to get ahead of the problem," says Warner. "You can figure out which type of pest you’re dealing with by looking at an insect identification app before taking action. Sometimes, there are insects present that are good guys."

If lack of pollination is causing the issue, consider growing flower varieties alongside strawberries that pollinators love, like bee balm or borage. "Poor soil and nutrient deficiencies can be uncovered by taking a soil test and sending it to a local company for thorough testing," says Warner. "This will tell you what nutrients are lacking in your soil and how you can amend it."

Lastly, your strawberries may not be ready to bear fruit yet. "Depending on where you live and what variety, strawberries will bloom at different times of the year," Warner says.