10 Reasons Your Strawberries Aren't Producing Fruit—and How to Fix Them

There is something incredibly rewarding about nurturing and growing your own fruit, especially strawberries. These delicious, low-maintenance fruits are packed with flavor, making them an excellent choice for beginner gardeners. While strawberries are relatively easy to grow, there are mistakes that can prevent your plants from reaching their full fruiting potential. Fortunately, these problems can be easily addressed. To ensure a bountiful harvest, we spoke to gardening experts who shared the most common reasons strawberry plants don't product fruit—and how to fix them.

Not Fertilizing

Soil nutrition plays a crucial role in strawberry production. "To get the best fruit yield, ensure your soil meets the necessary nutrient requirements," says Faith Redcay, a horticulturist at Longwood Gardens.

Strawberries require nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and essential micronutrients to thrive, which they can get from fertilizer or organic compost. “Add phosphorus, potassium, and half the recommended nitrogen early in the season," Redcay says. After fruiting, add the remaining nitrogen since too much nitrogen leads to more robust leaves and less fruit.

Diseases

Like many other crops, strawberries are susceptible to several diseases that can affect fruit production, including gray mold, powdery mildew, verticillium wilt, and fusarium wilt. Common signs of disease in strawberries include stunted growth, discoloration, blotches on fruit, curling or scorched leaves, and powdery or fuzzy growth, says Redcay. To prevent diseases from impacting your strawberries, Redcay recommends choosing disease-resistant cultivars.

Pest Infestations

Common strawberry pests include slugs, spittlebugs, strawberry clipper weevils, and tarnished plant bugs. Rodents and birds like to snack of strawberries as well. Early intervention is often key to preventing pest issues. “Check plants regularly for signs of pests like chewed leaves, damaged fruit, or discoloration,” says Redcay.

Because pests hide on common backyard weeds like dandelions, she advises keeping your garden free of weeds and debris to help prevent infestations. Place pest netting or a row cover over your plants to prevent rodents and birds from consuming your berries.

Lack of Sunlight

Strawberry plants thrive in full sun and yield less fruit in shady areas. To keep fruit production robust, plant strawberries in a location that receives at least eight hours of full sun each day. Late afternoon shade in midsummer is tolerable.

Not Replacing Plants

Strawberry plants are perennial, but fruit yield decreases as the plants age. Strawberry plants can produce a good crop for at least five years. That said, Redcay recommends replacing your plants every two to three years for the most abundant harvest.

Not Training Plants

Strawberry plants produce prolific amounts of spreading stolons, says Redcay. These are horizontal stems (or runners) that grow from the main plant and produce new plants on their nodes. “Cut and train stolons into a streamlined row to allow the plant to concentrate its energy on fruit production instead of herbaceous growth.”

Choosing the Wrong Variety for Your Region

Many strawberry varieties have a specific day length requirement that needs to be met to initiate flowers, says Marvin Pritts, professor of horticulture at Cornell University. “If days are not short enough before winter sets in, that particular strawberry variety may never initiate flowers.” Avoid this by selecting the appropriate variety for your region. Shopping locally and speaking with local growers will help you find the best strawberry varieties suited to your area.

Not Preparing for Spring Frosts

Just because it's spring doesn't mean that frost won't make an appearance. "The most common cause of insufficient fruiting in strawberry plants is frost during the flowering stage, which can kill the reproductive parts of the flowers that would later develop into fruit," says Pritts. A sign of frost damage is a black, rather than yellow, flower center.

Check the USDA hardiness zone map to learn your region’s first and last frost date, especially once your strawberries start flowering. Cover your plants with a floating row cover to protect them from unexpected spring frosts.

Poor Water Management

Strawberries have a shallow root system that easily absorbs water from topsoil. Both overwatering and underwatering can significantly impact fruit production. Overwatering can cause root rot and other diseases, while underwatering can cause the roots to dry out.

Strawberries require 1 to 2 inches of water per week, especially during the fruiting season and in periods of excessive heat. It’s best to water the plants deeply and less frequently than to water them lightly and more often.

Inadequate Soil

The composition of your soil can make or break your plant’s fruiting success. Strawberries do best in fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. Avoid planting strawberries in areas where the soil remains consistently wet, as this can lead to root rot.

When growing strawberries in containers or raised beds, use a lightweight, well-draining potting mix specifically designed for vegetables and fruit. Look for a blend of perlite, peat moss, and vermiculite.

Lack of Protection During Winter

Strawberries need adequate protection during winter so they can produce fruit the following season. "The flowers in the crown of unprotected strawberry plants can be
killed if the temperatures are too cold," says Pritts.

Mound 4 to 6 inches of straw or mulch over your strawberry plants once the ground freezes and the plants have gone dormant. If growing strawberries in containers, move them to a sheltered area such as a garage, shed, or covered porch.