The quintessential fruit of summer, strawberries taste best when home grown – of course!
Sweet, juicy and delicious, strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are easy and rewarding to grow. Make your own strawberry patch if you have room, or just add a few plants to the front of a border. Alternatively, they grow well in containers and even hanging baskets. There are summer-fruiting, perpetual and alpine types to choose from, with many delicious varieties of each. And if you plant several different types, you can have home-grown harvests from early summer through to autumn. Many strawberries even produce new plantlets (or runners) after fruiting, so you can easily increase your plants every year or use them to replace older plants that are past their best.
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Growing juicy flavorful strawberries in pots is easier than you think! With the right materials and care you can enjoy homegrown strawberries on your patio, balcony or windowsill. This complete guide shares tips for selecting the best pots, soil, varieties and care for thriving container strawberries.
Why Grow Strawberries in Pots?
Strawberries are one of the best fruits to grow in containers Here are some key reasons to try potted strawberries
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Small spaces – Strawberry plants stay compact, making them perfect for patios, balconies and urban gardening.
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Convenience – Pots can be moved to convenient spots for harvesting and care, Place them right by your kitchen!
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Aesthetics – Cascading strawberries look lovely in hanging baskets. The flowers and fruits are beautiful.
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Soil quality – Avoid garden soil issues by using high quality potting mix.
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Pest protection – Containers offer more protection from slugs, birds and other strawberry-loving pests.
Choosing the Best Strawberry Varieties
Selecting the right strawberry variety is key for abundant harvests in pots. Look for:
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Compact size – Avoid spreading types. Opt for compact alpine varieties under 6-12 inches wide.
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Everbearing or day-neutral – These produce berries throughout the season, unlike June-bearing types.
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Runner resistance – Varieties bred for containers produce fewer runners that sap energy.
Top compact picks include ‘Seascape’, ‘Albion’, ‘Yellow Wonder’ and ‘Quinault’.
Selecting the Ideal Pot or Container
You have lots of options when it comes to picking strawberry pots! Consider:
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Drainage – Holes are essential to prevent soggy soil. Pick a pot with drainage holes.
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Depth – 8-12 inches deep allows room for roots. Shallower pots need more frequent watering.
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Width – Around 10-12 inches wide fits 1-3 plants depending on variety.
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Material – Plastic, terracotta, wood and ceramic all work. Go lightweight for portability.
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Style – Match your decor! Try vertical towers, hanging baskets, window boxes and more.
Preparing Potting Mix
Creating the ideal soil environment ensures healthy, productive plants.
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Ingredients – Mix in compost, manure, coco coir and peat moss for moisture retention and nutrients.
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Texture – Aim for a loose, crumbly, loamy texture. Add perlite or bark fines to improve drainage.
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pH – Test pH and amend mix to reach an ideal range of 5.5-7.0. Strawberries prefer slightly acidic conditions.
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Filling pots – Pack soil lightly and leave 1-2 inches at top for mulch. Don’t compact it too densely.
Planting Your Container Strawberries
Once materials are prepped, it’s time to plant! Follow these tips:
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Give them space – Allow at least 6-8 inches between young plants to prevent overcrowding.
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Bury crowns – Plant dormant bare root crowns so the crown is just above soil level. Roots below.
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Water well – Water thoroughly after planting to settle soil and eliminate air pockets.
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Use starts – For instant gratification, plant nursery starts with pre-grown leaves and roots.
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Add mulch – Top off pots with 1-2 inches of organic mulch like straw or leaves.
Caring for Potted Strawberry Plants
With good care, your container berries will flourish!
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Sunlight – Place pots in a spot with at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily.
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Watering – Check soil regularly and water when the top few inches become dry. Don’t let pots completely dry out.
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Fertilizer – Feed plants every 2-4 weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer once blooming begins.
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Pruning – Snip off all runners to direct energy into fruit production rather than spreading.
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Support – Add stakes or trellises if plants start falling over from fruit weight.
Overwintering Container Strawberries
There are two overwintering options for potted strawberries:
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As annuals – Discard spent plants in fall and replant with new starts each spring. Easiest!
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As perennials – Move dormant pots to an unheated garage or cellar once leaves die back after frost. Keep soil slightly moist. Mulch helps insulate. Resume care in spring after last frost date when plants resume growth.
Troubleshooting Common Strawberry Problems
Follow these tips to avoid issues with container-grown strawberries:
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Small berries – Promote larger fruits by pruning runners, thinning plants, and providing consistent water.
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Few flowers/fruits – Improve pollination by placing pots in sunny spots. Fertilize regularly. Avoid overcrowding.
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Rotting berries – Prevent fungal issues by harvesting ripe fruits promptly before they get mushy. Water at soil level, not on fruits.
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Wilting leaves – Rule out under or overwatering. Check for pests like spider mites. Improve drainage if soil stays soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grow strawberries from seed in pots?
Yes! Start seeds indoors in late winter 8-10 weeks before your last spring frost. They’ll need cold stratification in the fridge too. Nursery starts are quicker and easier for beginners though.
What size pot do strawberries need?
Aim for containers at least 8 inches deep and 10-12 inches wide. This gives roots room to anchor plants while staying compact enough for patios and balconies.
How close together should strawberries be planted in a pot?
Allow 6-12 inches of space surrounding each plant. It’s tempting to cram more in, but overcrowding leads to poor growth and small harvests.
Should I mulch my potted strawberries?
Adding 1-2 inches of organic mulch helps retain moisture and reduces weeds. Straw, shredded leaves, compost, pine needles or bark chips all work great.
Conclusion
With the right approach, growing bountiful strawberries in pots is totally doable even with limited gardening experience or space. Follow this complete guide for thriving container berries this season! The harvest of juicy homegrown strawberries will be so worth the effort.
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What and where to buy
Summer-fruiting and perpetual strawberries can be bought as potted plants or bare-root plantlets known as runners, while alpine strawberries can also be grown from seed:
- Young plants in pots or packs of plug plants are normally on sale from late spring onwards
- Runners look like little clumps of roots with very few leaves. Don’t be alarmed, this is how they should look. You can buy runners in late summer/early autumn or early spring
- Cold-stored runners are available from late spring to early summer – these specially prepared runners will fruit about two months after planting
- Alpine strawberries can be bought as young plants or grown from seed sown indoors in spring or autumn
Always buy strawberry plants from a reputable supplier, so that the variety is true to type and plants are disease free. They are readily available in garden centres and from online suppliers.
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Early variety: may also produce a second crop in September if July isn’t too hot. The
Mid-season variety: very popular and reliable, with sweet, succulent berries and good disease resistance. The
Perpetual: provides several harvests of sweet, tasty berries from early summer to early autumn. The
Before planting, weed the site thoroughly, then improve the soil by digging in two buckets of well-rotted manure or garden compost per square metre/yard. You can also rake in a high potassium general fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bonemeal, using half a handful per square metre/yard. Many gardeners grow strawberries through weed-suppressing membrane (ideally biodegradable), put in place before planting. This prevents weed growth, holds water in the soil and stops soil splashing onto the fruit. Simply lay it over your planting area, pinning it in place with U-shaped pieces of wire, then cut holes in it to plant into the soil underneath. 4
While summer-fruiting and perpetual strawberries are only grown from runners or young plants, alpine strawberries can also be grown from seed indoors, although germination can be slow and unreliable. Sow in autumn or spring, into trays of peat-free seed compost. Scatter the seeds thinly and lightly cover with sharp sand. Germination requires 18–21°C (65–70°F). See our sowing guide below.
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Strawberries are traditionally grown in rows in a dedicated bed or strawberry patch. They also work well as an edging for veg beds or flower borders. Another good option is to grow them in containers, including large pots, grow bags, hanging baskets and windowboxes. This avoids the problem of soil diseases building up in strawberry beds, and the fruits are less likely to be damaged by slugs or snails. However, vine weevils can be a problem. Plant strawberries in mid-spring or in late summer/early autumn – no later than the first week of September in northern Britain and the second week of September in southern regions. Planting in August or early September gives them longer to get established before fruiting, so they should produce a better crop. Strawberries like fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. In poor or heavy soil, it’s preferable to plant them in raised beds, which provide better drainage and increased rooting depth. They grow best and produce the sweetest fruits in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. Alpine strawberries thrive in light shade. Avoid planting strawberries in sites prone to late frosts, which can damage the flowers and cause strawberry black eye, or in exposed locations, which make it hard for pollinating insects to reach the flowers. Also, don’t plant in ground that has previously been used for potatoes, chrysanthemums or tomatoes, because they’re all prone to the disease verticillium wilt.
Planting in the ground
Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the roots and water well to soak the soil. Trim the roots lightly to 10cm (4in) if necessary, then spread them out in the hole. Replace the soil, ensuring that the base of the crown rests lightly on the surface, before firming in gently with your fingers. Planting at the correct depth is important – if the crown is planted too deeply it will rot, if it’s planted too shallowly the plant will dry out and die. Water well to settle the soil around the roots. Space plants 35–40cm (14–16in) apart, in rows 75–100cm (30in–3ft) apart. You can also place a biodegradable mulch mat or re-usable strawberry collar around each plant to deter weeds and keep the fruits off the soil. Also see our planting guides below.
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Planting perennials (such as strawberries)Strawberries: quick planting tips
Strawberries grow well in pots on a sunny patio if watered regularly
Strawberries are easy to grow in pots, grow bags, hanging baskets, troughs and tubs. Although traditional strawberry pots (with planting holes around the sides) look attractive, they can make it difficult to maintain healthy, productive plants. Simply fill a large container with peat-free multi-purpose or soil-based compost, and plant with the crown just level with the surface. Space plants 10–20cm (4–8in) apart. Position the container in a sheltered, sunny spot and water regularly. Also see our video guide to potting up strawberry runners, and our handy planting guides below.
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