Growing Strawberry Plants

Fragaria : Rosaceae / the rose family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P P            

(Best months for growing Strawberry Plants in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Plant with crown (of roots) just covered.. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 68°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 - 39 inches apart
  • Harvest in approximately 11 weeks. Strawberries bruise easily when ripe, handle carefully. Pick with a small piece of stem attached..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Better in a bed on their own to allow good sun and air circulation
  • Avoid growing close to: If you are using rotation beds, avoid putting strawberries where you have grown tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant

Your comments and tips

04 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
As a guide plants that have had 2 crops of fruit should be replaced with new runners. Plant new runners. Once planted mulch around the plants. Put a watering drip system under the mulch if possible. If possible put them where they will receive some shade each day - in the morning or late arvo. Strawberries have a shallow root system so give them a good watering 2-3 times a week at least - more if possible. Try not to wet the leaves and fruit when they starting produce fruit.
07 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If possible take the wheel barrows with you - set them up where you are going to live.
30 Apr 18, Gavy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi I lives in Melbourne and planning to plant strawberries into big pots. Is May month is right time to plant them? I am planning to buy 20 small plants from the market.
01 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You are temperate zone - plant May June July - learn to use the tools here - set you climate zone to temperate and then check when and how to grow plants.
02 Jun 18, Skye (Australia - temperate climate)
Are they frost tolerant? The strawberry farm seems to stop growing them in winter as we get many frosts
01 May 18, Gavy (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks Mike. I am going to plant some this weekend and I set my temperature to temperate too.
04 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm in Southern Qld and we plant about mid April. I planted mine a month earlier as I was going travelling for 3 weeks to mid April. The plants have done really well although the new plants are still sending out new shoots (runners). I cut them off. The weather here has just changed from summer to autumn in the last week H 30-33 down to 26-28 and .L 20-23 down to 15-17 at night. Read my post today about planting new runners each third year etc etc.
28 Apr 18, Ann (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a compost bin. It is full of slaters working away. When I use my compost it appears that the Slaters eat the fruit. They also like to hide under mulch. Any suggestions to deal with the slaters?
03 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
From Gardening Australia. "Growing strawberries in pots or growing melons over structures keeps the plants and fruit off the ground and reduces the likelihood of slater damage. When sowing seed keep mulch well clear of the furrow as slaters don't like venturing far from cover. Make traps from hollowed out orange halves or seedling punnets filled with potato peelings, to distract slaters from seedlings, and germinating seeds. When it comes to seedlings, try plant collars (old pots with the bottom chopped out) for the first couple of weeks, or pot on seedlings to establish them before planting out. Once the stems become tougher, they're less attractive to slaters. Iron chelate based snail pellets are also effective against slaters and, as they break down, they release iron to feed the plants. They're safer than traditional snail pellets for use around pets, children and wildlife but they should be stored and used with caution and common sense. In larger gardens, rotating chooks over vegie beds in between crops is a great way to clear up infestation and provide your birds with protein".
01 May 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Don't put the compost around the strawberries. Use another fertiliser (manures etc) and put fresh mulch (fine grass clippings) around your plants.
Showing 161 - 170 of 350 comments

Read the notes here - 10-11 weeks to harvest. Around my place (Queensland Australia sub tropical climate - cool/warm winters) they plant late March early April and start harvesting in June.

- Anonymous

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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