Strawberries are the first fruit of summer and the one most gardeners grow for flavour rather than yield — a homegrown berry, eaten warm from the plant, tastes nothing like a shop-bought one. They are also one of the easiest fruits to fit into a small garden, in beds, pots or hanging baskets.
Eat them fresh, freeze them, or turn them into jam — but expect most of them to be eaten standing in the garden. A modest bed of plants gives a generous harvest from late spring into summer, and everbearing types keep producing into autumn. This crop is in the Rosaceae family, needs full sun, and takes 90–180 days to reach maturity, so it pays to know what it wants before you sow. This guide covers it all: starting seeds, transplanting, soil and feeding, watering, sunlight, pests, companion plants, harvesting and the problems most likely to catch you out. Renew the bed every three or four years: old plants get less productive and build up disease, so replace them with fresh plants or rooted runners.
Strawberries at a glance
| Growing factor | What strawberries need |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 5.5–6.5 |
| Days to germination | 14–21 |
| Days to maturity | 90–180 |
| Spacing | 12–18 inches |
| Water needs | moderate |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Family | Rosaceae |
Starting seeds
Strawberries can be started indoors or sown direct. Indoors, sow in trays or cells and expect germination in 14–21 days; direct-sown seed goes into prepared soil once conditions are right. Starting indoors buys a few weeks of season, while direct sowing is simpler and avoids transplant shock.
Short-season gardens in Zones 3–5 gain the most from starting indoors, while Zones 8–10 can usually direct-sow with confidence. Our seed-starting calculator works out indoor sowing dates from your frost dates.
Seed takes 14–21 days to germinate and most gardeners do not bother with it — runners and young plants are faster and truer to variety. If you do sow, start indoors and be patient: seed-grown plants take a full season to size up.
Transplanting and planting out
Set plants out with the crown exactly at soil level — buried crowns rot and exposed crowns dry out. Space them as given, water in well, and mulch with straw once they are established to keep the berries clean and off the soil.
Space plants 12–18 inches apart — crowding is one of the commonest causes of small harvests. Our plant-spacing calculator works out how many plants fit your bed. Harden seedlings off for a week before planting out, and plant on a cloudy day or in the evening so they do not wilt in their first hours outdoors.
Soil and feeding
Strawberries want rich, free-draining soil with plenty of compost dug in. They fruit best in a bed that has not grown strawberries before, and they dislike sitting wet — raised beds or mounds suit them well.
Aim for a soil pH of 5.5–6.5 — a simple soil test will tell you where you stand. Feed lightly and steadily rather than in one heavy dose: too much fast nitrogen late in the season pushes leafy growth at the expense of the part you eat. Our fertiliser calculator works out amounts for your bed size, and the raised-bed soil calculator tells you how much mix a new bed needs.
Watering
Water needs are moderate: keep the soil evenly moist, watering deeply when the top inch or two dries out. Deep, infrequent watering builds deeper roots than a daily sprinkle.
Strawberries need steady water while the fruit is swelling — a dry spell then gives small, misshapen berries. Water at the base to keep the fruit dry, and mulch with straw to hold the moisture in.
Water at the base of the plant, in the morning, so the leaves dry quickly. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it.
Sunlight and temperature
Strawberries want full sun for sweet fruit — berries grown in shade are smaller and tarter. An open, airy site also helps the fruit dry quickly after rain, which keeps grey mould down.
This crop is rated hardy for cold tolerance, so plan your season around that: hardy crops can be sown and harvested around frosts, while tender crops need warm soil and frost-free nights. Our sunlight calculator can check whether your spot gets enough sun, and the hardiness-zone finder will confirm your zone.
Pests and diseases
Strawberries are not especially pest-prone when healthy and well placed, but a few pests turn up regularly. The ones listed for this crop in the growing data are slugs, aphids, spider mites.
- Slugs — Slugs feed at night, chewing holes in leaves and fruit — especially young seedlings and berries at ground level. Hand-pick them after dark and keep the ground clear of hiding places.
- Aphids — Small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new shoots, weakening growth. A strong jet of water dislodges them, and ladybirds usually keep them in check.
- Spider Mites — Tiny mites that thrive in hot, dry conditions, leaving fine webbing and speckled, bronzed leaves. Keep plants watered and remove badly affected leaves.
Inspect plants weekly, especially the undersides of leaves, and act early. If you need help identifying what you are seeing, our pest-identifier helper and plant-disease checker walk through the symptoms.
Companion plants
Companion planting puts together plants that help each other — sharing space well, attracting pollinators, or confusing pests. The companions listed for strawberries in the growing data are a good starting point.
Good companions for strawberries include:
- Borage
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Sage
- Thyme
Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed plan.
Harvesting
Pick berries when they are fully red all the way to the tip — they do not ripen after picking, so patience pays. Pick every day or two in peak season, and pick with the little green cap attached so the berry keeps longer.
Expect the crop to be ready about 90–180 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that window by a week or two either way. Our harvest-date calculator works out your expected harvest date from your sowing date, and the vegetable-yield estimator can estimate how much a bed should produce. Harvest in the morning, using a sharp knife or secateurs rather than tearing, which damages the plant.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slugs and birds eating the berries | ripe fruit sitting at ground level | mulch with straw and net the bed, holding the net clear of the fruit |
| Wilting in dry spells | uneven watering | water deeply when the top inch or two dries out, and mulch |
| Slugs on the plants | slugs feeding on the crop | inspect weekly and act early — hand-pick, wash off, or use barriers |
Slugs and birds eating the berries
Likely cause: ripe fruit sitting at ground level. Slugs and birds are the two great strawberry thieves: slugs eat ripe berries at ground level, and birds can strip a bed in a morning. Straw mulch keeps berries off the soil and deters slugs, and netting over the bed — held clear of the fruit — keeps the birds off.
Wilting in dry spells
Likely cause: uneven watering. A dry spell while fruit or flowers are forming costs you the crop. Water deeply when the top inch or two of soil dries out, and mulch to keep moisture even.
Slugs on the plants
Likely cause: slugs feeding on the crop. Slugs feed at night, chewing holes in leaves and fruit — especially young seedlings and berries at ground level. Hand-pick them after dark and keep the ground clear of hiding places.
Frequently asked questions
How long do strawberries take to germinate?
14–21 days, in warm, moist conditions. Cool soil slows germination down, so wait for the soil to warm up and keep the seedbed evenly moist — not wet — until seedlings appear.
What soil pH do strawberries need?
A soil pH of 5.5–6.5 suits strawberries best. A simple soil test will tell you where your soil stands, and lime or sulfur can nudge pH up or down over a season.
When can I harvest strawberries?
About 90–180 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that by a week or two. For nursery-grown plants the wait is shorter than for seed.
Should I let my strawberry plants make runners?
Let a few runners root if you want new plants, but cut most of them off — every runner the plant feeds is energy taken away from fruit. The best approach is to let runners root on a few strong plants and remove them from the rest.