Strawberries make wonderful container plants, giving you homegrown fruit all summer long.
Strawberries can adapt to a wide variety of containers, from 6″ to 8″ pots for individual plants to larger planters, such as wooden or plastic half barrels, for multiple plants. They grow in hanging baskets and window boxes too. Strawberries have a relatively small root ball and can be grown in containers as small as 10 to 12 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. However, the smaller the container, the more frequently you will need to water.
For containers, we recommend everbearing strawberries, as they give you two to three harvests each season instead of one larger harvest you get from the June-bearing varieties.
Strawberry plants dislike crowded conditions, so plant only three strawberry plants per square foot of soil. That would be 1 plant per 6″ pot, 2 plants per 8″ to 10″ pot, 3 plants per 12″ to 16″ pot, or 6 plants per 24″ pot. Make sure to use a container with a drainage hole in the bottom. For soil use a loamy potting mix such as our fertilome potting soil. Plant the strawberry plants, so their crowns (the place where the stem meets the roots) are just above the soil surface. Never cover the crown with soil, as that will create root rot.
Make sure you place your strawberries in a place where it will receive at least 6-8 hour of sun each day. If it is only getting sun from a single direction, make sure to rotate your pot at least once or twice per week so that your plants will grow evenly.
Water your strawberries whenever the soil feels dry about 1 inch below the surface. You don’t want the plants to be sitting in water or soggy soil. Containers dries out faster than the soil on the ground, so when it gets really warm out, they might need watering twice per day.
Feed your strawberries every three to four weeks with a liquid fertilizer, like the free fertilizer water we offer at Meadow View Growers.
If you are going to leave your strawberries in a pot outside over the winter, you will want to move it to an unheated garage or under a deck for winter protection. You can also mulch up and around the container for added extra protection. Even outdoors strawberry plants should be replaced every 3-5 years. When your plants start to die or their strawberry production is not what it used to be, replace with a new strawberry plant or propagate a new one from the strawberry plants’ runners.
If you have additional questions, or need cicada netting, feel free to contact us here at Meadow View. Stop in or give us a call at 937-845-0093. Happy gardening!
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