Strawberry Growing Guide

Nothing compares to the sweetness of sun-ripened strawberries picked fresh from your garden. With the right variety and care, you can enjoy abundant harvests for years from a single planting.

Understanding Strawberry Types

June-Bearing

Produce one large crop in late spring/early summer. Best for preserving and freezing. Popular varieties:

• Chandler: Large berries, excellent flavor, zones 5-8
• Earliglow: Early season, disease resistant, zones 4-8
• Jewel: Firm berries, great for fresh eating, zones 4-8

Everbearing

Produce two to three harvests per season. Varieties include:

• Ozark Beauty: Sweet flavor, productive, zones 4-8
• Quinault: Large berries, mild flavor, zones 4-8

Day-Neutral

Produce continuously from spring through fall. Best varieties:

• Albion: Excellent flavor, disease resistant, zones 4-8
• Seascape: High yields, great for containers, zones 4-9
• Tristar: Sweet and aromatic, zones 4-8

Site Selection

• Sunlight: Full sun (8+ hours daily) for best production
• Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.8)
• Location: Avoid areas where tomatoes, peppers, or potatoes grew recently
• Air circulation: Good airflow prevents disease

Planting Strawberries

When to Plant

• Spring: As soon as soil can be worked (best for most areas)
• Fall: 6-8 weeks before first frost (good for zones 7-10)

Planting Technique

1. Dig a hole wide enough for roots to spread
2. Create a small mound in the center
3. Set the crown at soil level—not too deep, not too high
4. Spread roots over the mound
5. Fill with soil and firm gently
6. Water thoroughly

First-Year Care

For June-bearing varieties, remove all flowers the first year. This sacrifice allows plants to establish strong root systems for better harvests in following years. For day-neutral types, remove flowers until July, then allow fruiting.

Ongoing Care

Watering

Strawberries need 1-2 inches of water weekly. Drip irrigation is ideal—wet foliage promotes disease.

Mulching

Apply straw mulch (hence the name!) 2-4 inches deep after planting. This conserves moisture, prevents weeds, and keeps berries clean.

Fertilizing

• Apply balanced fertilizer at planting
• Side-dress with nitrogen after first harvest
• Avoid over-fertilizing—causes lush leaves, few berries

Winter Protection

In zones 5 and colder, cover plants with 4-6 inches of straw mulch after the ground freezes. Remove gradually in spring as growth resumes.

Renovating June-Bearers

After harvest, renovate June-bearing beds:

1. Mow leaves to 3-4 inches
2. Narrow rows to 12 inches wide
3. Thin plants to 6 inches apart
4. Apply fertilizer
5. Water well