How to Grow Strawberry
Strawberry At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Berry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -25°C
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
The easiest, fastest start. In early spring, about 2 weeks before your last frost, plant dormant bare-root crowns (young plants sold with bare roots) 30 cm apart. Spread the roots out and set each crown so its centre bud sits right at soil level: too deep and it rots, too shallow and it dries out. Everbearing types fruit the first summer, while single-crop types, which give one big harvest in early summer, start the next year.
Strawberries come back every year and send out runners that root into free new plants. Plants crop best in their second and third years, so replace old plants with rooted runners every 3 years or so.
When To Start
Strawberry likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Strawberry?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Strawberry Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Strawberry Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant your strawberry crowns, centre bud at soil level
2 weeks before your last frost
Pick strawberries when red right up to the cap
60 days after your last frost· every year
Get straw ready to cover strawberries once the ground freezes
3 weeks before your first frost· every year
Water your new strawberry plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
How are your strawberries settling in? Keep the crown just at the soil line and water often.
About 30 days after you plant it
Checking in on your strawberries. Snip off long runners for now so the plant puts its energy into its roots.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Strawberry's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
30 cm
Plant Spacing
45 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Tower.
Succession Planting
No.
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant strawberries in full sun, at least 8 hours a day, for the sweetest berries.
- 2Mix plenty of compost into the soil before planting, or use a pot or hanging basket at least 30 cm wide.
- 3Water at the base whenever the top 2 to 3 cm of soil is dry, and keep the leaves and berries dry so grey mould does not rot the fruit.
- 4Feed with compost tea or worm castings in early spring and again after the main harvest.
- 5Pinch off the flowers on single-crop plants in their first year, and snip off extra runners, so the plant builds strong roots.
- 6Spread straw under the plants to keep the berries clean and off the soil, and cover the bed with netting to keep birds away.
- 7Pick slugs off at dusk, since they chew holes in ripe berries.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
20 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pick when fully red right to the shoulders. Check every day or two in peak season
How to Harvest
- 1Pick strawberries when they are red all over, right up to the green cap.
- 2Pinch through the stem just above the berry so the cap stays on, rather than pulling, which bruises them.
- 3Pick every day or two in the peak season, in the cool of the morning.
- 4Keep the berries unwashed in the fridge and eat them within 2 to 3 days, washing them just before eating.
- 5Freeze any extras whole on a tray, then pack them into bags.
- 6Once the ground starts to freeze in late fall, cover the plants with a loose layer of straw about 10 cm deep, and pull it back in spring as new growth starts.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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