Strawberry Plants: How to Grow Strawberries in Beds and Pots
Plant dormant strawberry crowns in spring once the soil can be worked (in Texas, an AgriLife Extension horticulturist plants in October), with the middle of the crown level with the soil and plants 18 to 24 inches apart in a matted row. Grow day-neutral plants in pots. Pick berries when fully red, and move the bed to a new spot every 3 to 4 years, as Minnesota advises.
Sources: University of Minnesota Extension, Oregon State University Extension, Utah State University Extension, Illinois Extension and 7 more. See the sources we used. How we source our guides
On this page
Plant dormant strawberry plants in spring, once the soil is warm enough to dig easily with a trowel, in full sun and well-drained soil. University of Minnesota Extension sets the middle of each crown at the soil line, buries the roots completely, and pinches off flower buds for the first few weeks so plants build leaves and roots.
Below: planting times by region, spring frost dates for four weather stations, the three strawberry types, pots and towers, and the pests that reach ripe berries first.
| Sun | At least 6 hours (Minnesota, Illinois); 8 hours (Utah State) |
|---|---|
| Planting depth | Middle of the crown level with the soil (Minnesota, Oregon State) |
| Spacing | 18 to 24 inches in rows 3 to 4 feet apart for a matted row (Minnesota, Utah State); 12 to 15 inches in a hill system (Oregon State, Utah State) |
| Soil pH | 5.6 to 6.5 (Oregon State); 5.5 to 6.5 (Illinois) |
| Water | About 1 inch a week (Minnesota, Illinois) |
| First berries | The year after planting for June-bearers; the planting year for day-neutrals (Oregon State) |
| Winter cold | Crowns can die at 15 F without cover (Minnesota) |
| Replant | A new spot every 3 to 4 years (Minnesota) |
When to plant strawberries where you live
Dormant bare-root plants go in early, as soon as the soil is workable; Utah State says there is no need to hold them back until the risk of spring frost is over. Potted plants in leaf go out once the frost risk has passed (Minnesota). The month depends on where you garden:
| Source | Where | Planting time |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Minnesota | Dormant plants in April and May; potted plants in May and June |
| Illinois Extension | Illinois | March or April; not into wet soil |
| Iowa State | Iowa, in containers | Early to mid-April |
| Oregon State | Oregon | As early in spring as the soil can be worked |
| Utah State | Utah | Early spring; mid to late summer for June-bearers fruited the next spring (annual hill system) |
| UVM Extension | Vermont | Spring to early summer, or fall; not in excessive heat |
| Texas A&M AgriLife (a Lubbock horticulturist, 2023) | Texas | October |
| UC Master Gardeners, Napa County | Napa, California | Fall for June-bearers, replaced each year |
In Texas, the season flips to fall: a Texas A&M AgriLife horticulturist in Lubbock says spring turns hot too fast for young plants there, and plants in October so they root during cool weather.
Spring frost matters again at bloom: Oregon State finds that frost injures open flowers at 30 F and can damage closed buds at 28 F. The table gives NOAA's median last spring dates for 28 F and 32 F at four stations (NOAA publishes no 30 F normal).
| Weather station | Last spring 28 F (median) | Last spring 32 F (median) |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Apr 13 | Apr 23 |
| Chicago O'Hare, IL | Apr 5 | Apr 16 |
| Washington Reagan, VA | Mar 12 | Mar 24 |
| Atlanta Hartsfield, GA | Feb 28 | Mar 15 |
These are NOAA's 1991-2020 medians: in half of the years on record the last frost of that strength came earlier, and in half it came later, so a potted plant set out on the 32 F date can still meet a frost. Dormant bare-root plants do not wait for these dates (Utah State).
Once plants bloom, cover them on frost nights. Oregon State puts row cover on toward evening and pulls it off once the morning frost danger is gone, Minnesota covers blooming plants again with straw or row cover, and Illinois says spun bond fabric protects plantings to about 23 to 25 F.
June-bearing, everbearing or day-neutral: which to grow
Choose by when you want berries. University of Minnesota Extension sorts them this way: June-bearers give one big crop from mid-June to early July in Minnesota, everbearers give two (early summer and early fall), and day-neutrals keep fruiting through most of the season.
- June-bearing. Oregon State puts the fruiting season at around four weeks, starting the year after planting, says June-bearers make the most runners, which suits a matted row, and suggests them for picking plenty at one time, to freeze or make into jam. Illinois gives its June-bearers a 2 to 3 week harvest.
- Everbearing. Two crops, one with the June-bearers and one in late summer, and few runners (Oregon State). Utah State notes that many newer plants sold as everbearers are in fact day-neutrals.
- Day-neutral. Fruit from the planting year until frost, pausing below 40 F and at 90 F and up, with few runners (Oregon State). Iowa State sees them stop flowering above 80 to 85 F.
Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca), also sold as woodland strawberries or fraises des bois, are a separate day-neutral species with small, sweet berries. University of Minnesota Extension says they handle shadier spots, fit containers and perennial beds, and are often raised from seed.
Minnesota's variety list, winter hardy in zone 4 with mulch, includes the June-bearers Honeoye, Jewel and Earliglow, the everbearer Ogallala, and the day-neutrals Seascape and Albion. The Lubbock horticulturist, who once recommended June-bearers for Texas, now finds that several day-neutral varieties do very well there.
How to plant strawberry crowns: depth and spacing
Set each crown so its middle is level with the soil, the roots spread and covered and the growing point in the air. Plant too deep and, in Minnesota's words, the leaves "may not be able to emerge", and the tip may rot (Oregon State); plant too shallow and the crown loses water and can die (Minnesota).
Buy certified disease-free plants rather than digging runners from an old patch, which can carry viruses and root rot into the new bed (Oregon State, Utah State). Keep bare-root plants cool and damp and plant them as soon as you can (Minnesota).
- Soak bare-root roots in water for about an hour (UVM Extension). Trim off dead leaves, and do not let the roots dry out while you plant (Utah State).
- Dig a hole wide enough to fan the roots out without bending them (Oregon State).
- Set the middle of the crown level with the soil surface, with the topmost root just under it (Oregon State). A potted plant goes in at the depth it grew in its pot (Minnesota).
- Press the soil down around the plant and soak it (Minnesota). Illinois gives each new plant a pint of water and plants on a cloudy day or late in the day.
Utah State sets plants a little higher: it buries just the roots and the lowest part of the crown, and leaves as much crown showing as it can.
How far apart to plant strawberries
Spacing depends on how you will handle runners. In a matted row, plants start far apart and their runners fill the gaps; in a hill system, plants sit closer and every runner is cut off.
| Source | Plants in the row | Between rows | Hill system or bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 18 to 24 in | 3 to 4 ft | Ground cover grid, 1 by 1 ft or 2 by 2 ft |
| Illinois | 18 to 30 in | 3 to 4 ft | 1 ft apart, 2 ft walkways |
| Oregon State | About 15 in | 3 to 4 ft, center to center | 12 to 15 in, staggered; aisles 1.5 to 2 ft |
| Utah State | 18 to 24 in | 3 to 4 ft | 12 to 15 in, 2 to 4 rows per bed |
| NC State | 1 to 2.5 ft | 3 to 5 ft | Not given |
| Texas A&M (Lubbock) | Not given | Not given | About 1 plant per square foot |
Minnesota's own quick-facts box gives a closer 12 to 18 inches.
Sun and soil for strawberries
Minnesota and Illinois want 6 or more hours of direct sun daily and Utah State 8; UVM Extension warns that too little light means slow growth and few berries. Oregon State says roots die in soil that stays waterlogged for several days during the season, and builds mounded beds about 1 to 1.5 feet high where drainage is poor. Test the soil before planting; Oregon State samples up to a year ahead so that lime or sulfur has time to change the pH.
What to plant with strawberries
Utah State Extension pairs strawberries with thyme, which it says repels worms that harm them, and with borage, which draws pollinators. The sources also look at what grew there before: Illinois, Utah State and Oregon State all say to keep strawberries off ground where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant grew, because those crops can carry verticillium wilt. Oregon State adds raspberries and blackberries, and Minnesota picks a spot with no strawberries for the past 2 to 4 years. See our companion planting chart.
How to grow strawberries in pots and towers
Use day-neutral plants and a wide container. Oregon State calls day-neutrals the type for pots because they fruit nearly all the way from mid-spring to fall frost and make few runners, and Iowa State and Wisconsin Extension agree. Iowa State names the day-neutrals Albion, Cabrillo, Everest and Seascape, and the everbearer Ozark Beauty.
| Source | Container size | Plants per pot |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon State | 10 to 18 in deep, 12 in or more across | Up to 4 in a 12 in pot |
| Iowa State | At least 12 in across and 8 in deep | 3 or 4 in a 12 in pot, about 8 in apart |
| Wisconsin Extension | Round, at least 12 in across; rectangular, at least 24 in | Not given |
Strawberry jars fit more plants into a small footprint, but they water unevenly: Iowa State finds the upper side pockets dry out first, so it waters from the top and into the pockets too. A UC Master Gardener in Napa County stacks five pots of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 gallons, each sunk halfway into the one below, sets the plants around each rim so the berries hang over the side, and waters the top pot twice a week so it drains down through the rest. Oregon State notes that many store-bought strawberry planters hold plants for only one season.
Hanging baskets dry out fast and run hot, and as the soil warms, berries tend to come out smaller (Iowa State). Cut every runner on a potted plant, since daughters dangling over the edge cannot root and only drain the mother (Oregon State). Water when the surface is dry, which can mean daily, and sometimes twice daily in summer heat (Iowa State), and skip dark containers that heat the roots (Utah State).
Iowa State grows container strawberries as annuals, composting the plants in fall and buying new ones in spring. In western Oregon, Oregon State leaves pots outdoors but brings them in when the forecast drops below 15 F, and in a large pot it adds soil each spring without burying the growing point.
Water, mulch and runners in the first year
The first year is for roots: water every week, keep the weeds out and manage the runners. The sources split on the first flowers:
| Source | June-bearing | Everbearing and day-neutral |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Pinch off buds for the first few weeks after planting, then pick later that summer | No separate rule by type |
| UVM Extension | Remove the flowers all of the first year | Remove the early flowers; let later ones fruit |
| Illinois | Remove flower stems through the first summer | The same, but flowers after July can stay for a fall crop |
| Oregon State | No flower removal needed; little fruit comes in year one | Remove the first flower stem as it appears |
| Utah State | Remove blossoms and fruit in the first season | Remove the first flower cluster |
| Iowa State, containers | Let them fruit, since potted plants are not kept over winter | Remove the first flush of blooms |
If you want berries the first summer, plant day-neutrals or everbearers, which Oregon State says fruit in the planting year.
How much water strawberries need
Strawberries take about 1 inch of water each week, rain included, by the count of both Minnesota and Illinois. Oregon State gives established plants 1 to 1.5 inches and waters new plants several times a week, and Utah State says plants can use up to 2 inches a week in hot, dry weather. Water at the soil with drip line or a soaker hose, early in the day so leaves dry before dark (Minnesota).
Runners: keep, place or cut
Runners carry new daughter plants, and June-bearers make plenty: Minnesota counts up to 120 daughters from one plant in a season. In a matted row, let the early ones root. Oregon State keeps runners formed before September 1 and sweeps them into the row so it stays 12 to 18 inches wide; Minnesota presses each runner tip into the soil where a new plant should fill in and cuts the extras. In a hill system, Oregon State cuts every runner every 2 to 3 weeks.
Mulch in summer and winter
Straw between and under the plants holds moisture, keeps weeds down and gives berries a clean bed to ripen on (Minnesota), but keep it thin over the crowns: Oregon State warns that deep straw buries them and can shelter slugs and voles.
For winter, cover the plants once they are dormant. Minnesota spreads 4 to 6 inches of straw free of weed seed over them after 2 or 3 frosts, because the crown can die at 15 F (its disease section gives 2 to 3 inches). Illinois puts on 3 to 4 inches after several frosts but before 20 F, and Utah State spreads 3 to 6 inches in late November in its colder regions. Oregon State skips winter straw in rainy western Oregon, where wet mulch rots the plants. In spring, Minnesota rakes the straw away as growth begins and keeps a little at the plants' base as summer mulch; in its colder regions, Oregon State rakes it into the aisles once severe cold has passed.
When and how to pick strawberries
Pick strawberries when they are fully red, in the morning while the fruit is dry, and look over the plants every day or two once color shows (Minnesota, Utah State); Minnesota notes that some varieties keep white shoulders where leaves shade the fruit. In southern Minnesota, plants start flowering in mid-May, and June-bearers take about four weeks from flower to ripe berry.
Leave the green cap on: Oregon State says berries picked with the cap keep longer, and Iowa State leaves about 1/4 inch of stem above the cap. Use shallow containers, no deeper than 3 inches, so berries do not crush, and hold off washing until you eat them (Utah State).
After the last picking: renovate June-bearers
Renovation keeps a June-bearing bed going for more seasons (Oregon State). Oregon State waits 1 to 2 weeks past the final picking, then mows the leaves about 2 inches above the crowns, rakes out the debris, narrows the rows to 10 to 12 inches, and fertilizes and waters. Illinois mows about 1 inch above the crowns, and Minnesota finishes before August 1. Do not renovate day-neutrals or everbearers, which are still fruiting (Oregon State).
How long a strawberry bed lasts
Root rot can build up in old beds, so Minnesota moves plantings every 3 to 4 years, Oregon State generally gets 2 to 4 fruiting seasons from a planting, and Utah State keeps a bed in one place no more than 5 years. Oregon State starts the new bed, with new plants in a new spot, during the old bed's last season.
Birds, slugs and gray mold
Birds and rodents can do more damage to a home patch than insects, Minnesota says, and large holes in ripe berries are the sign. Pick fruit as soon as it ripens and cover the bed: Oregon State uses netting or row covers. Strawberries need bees (Minnesota), so Oregon State opens the sides of its low tunnels when plants are flowering and the air is above about 45 to 50 F.
Slugs
Slugs eat small, deep holes into ripe berries (Minnesota), mostly at night or early in the morning, and often leave dried slime trails (NC State). They can hide in dry mulch, debris and under plastic mulch. Minnesota sets out flat boards, checks under them the next morning and kills the slugs hiding there; NC State clears tall weeds and debris where they shelter, and lists iron phosphate baits for when trapping alone is not enough.
Gray mold
In Minnesota, gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) is the fruit rot strawberries get most often. It takes hold in long spells of cool, wet weather at bloom, worst when flowers stay wet more than 12 hours, then waits in the green berry and rots it as it ripens, coating it in powdery gray spores. Minnesota's fixes:
- Pick often, take out every rotten berry, and keep diseased fruit apart from the good fruit.
- Keep straw under the plants so rain cannot splash spores up onto the fruit.
- Skip spring nitrogen, which makes a dense, damp canopy, and keep rows no wider than 12 to 18 inches.
- Where a patch has a history of gray mold, take out and discard all of the old straw in early spring.
Honeoye is the only variety Minnesota recommends that has shown partial resistance.
Strawberry plants and supplies
Garden strawberries do not come true from seed (Oregon State), so you buy plants: dormant bare-root crowns, which nurseries ship at planting time for your region (Minnesota) and which often sell out, so order ahead (Oregon State), or potted plants. Alpine strawberries are the exception that many gardeners raise from seed (Minnesota). For a bed, add straw, bird netting or row cover, and drip line or a soaker hose; for a patio, a wide container or a stacked tower planted with day-neutrals.
What you'll need for strawberries
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RIFNY Bird Netting for Garden Protection, 13 x 40 ft
For a bed, add straw, bird netting or row cover.
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Gilmour Flat Soaker Hose
For a bed, drip line or a soaker hose.
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Smart Pot 20 Gallon Fabric Container, Tan
For a patio, a wide container planted with day-neutrals: at least 12 in across and 8 in deep (Iowa State); skip dark containers that heat the roots (Utah State).
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VECELO 5 Tier Stackable Vertical Garden Planter
For a patio, a stacked tower planted with day-neutrals.
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Sources we used
Every strawberry figure on this page traces to a saved copy of one of the extension pages below. When two sources give different numbers, the page names both.
- "University of Minnesota Extension: Growing strawberries in the home garden" and "Slugs"
- "Oregon State University Extension: Growing Strawberries in Your Home Garden (EC 1307)"
- "Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Strawberries in Your Garden" and "Companion Planting"
- "Illinois Extension: Growing Strawberries" and "Strawberries"
- "University of Vermont Extension: Growing Strawberries (July 3, 2025)"
- "Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: How to Grow Strawberries in Containers"
- "UW-Madison Extension: Growing Strawberries in Containers"
- "NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Fragaria x ananassa" and "Slugs in Strawberries"
- "Texas A&M AgriLife Today: If Summer's End Has You In A Jam, Plant Strawberries Now"
- "UC Master Gardeners of Napa County: Strawberries, Tasty, Fun, Easy to Grow"
- "NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020": last spring 28 F and 32 F medians at four airports
Related guides
- How to grow asparagus, from seed or crowns.
- Melons: cantaloupe, honeydew and other summer melons.
- How to grow cucumbers, on a trellis or sprawling.
- How to grow tomatoes in pots and beds.
- How to grow peppers, bell and hot.
- Nightshades, our family hub for tomatoes and peppers.
- Companion planting chart, with each pair's extension source.
- Natural weed control: pulling, hoeing, mulch and solarizing.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant strawberries?
Plant dormant strawberry plants in early spring, once you can work the soil, and potted plants after your last frost. University of Minnesota Extension plants dormant plants in April and May, and Illinois Extension in March or April. In Texas, a Texas A&M AgriLife horticulturist in Lubbock plants in October so plants root in cool weather.
How far apart should strawberry plants be?
In a matted row, set plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart and let the runners fill in, as University of Minnesota Extension and Utah State advise. In a hill system with runners removed, Oregon State and Utah State space plants 12 to 15 inches apart. Illinois allows up to 30 inches.
Do strawberries come back every year?
Yes, strawberries are perennials, but a bed wears out after a few years. University of Minnesota Extension suggests moving plantings to a new spot every 3 to 4 years because root rot diseases can build up in old beds. Oregon State generally gets 2 to 4 fruiting seasons per planting, then replants with new plants elsewhere.
Can you grow strawberries in pots?
Yes, and day-neutral plants are the usual pick for pots because they fruit in their first year and make few runners. University of Minnesota Extension marks Seascape and Albion as good container varieties. Iowa State wants a pot at least 12 inches across and 8 inches deep for 3 or 4 plants, and treats container strawberries as annuals.
Should you pick the flowers off new strawberry plants?
Yes for everbearers and day-neutrals, at least the first flowers. For June-bearers, Minnesota pinches buds for the first few weeks and UVM Extension removes flowers all the first year, but Oregon State leaves June-bearers alone and Iowa State lets June-bearers in pots fruit, since those plants are not kept.
How do you know when strawberries are ripe?
A strawberry is ripe when it is fully red. University of Minnesota Extension notes that berries color from the tip toward the stem and most turn completely red, though some varieties keep white shoulders where leaves shade them. Oregon State says berries picked at 75% red keep longer, but flavor is better when they ripen on the plant.
How do you keep birds off strawberries?
Cover the bed with bird netting or floating row cover and pick berries as soon as they ripen. Oregon State uses netting or row covers against birds, and University of Minnesota Extension says birds and rodents can do more harm in home patches than insects. Lift or open covers while plants flower so bees can pollinate.
What can you plant with strawberries?
Utah State Extension pairs strawberries with thyme, which it says repels worms that harm them, and borage, which draws pollinators. Illinois, Utah State and Oregon State also warn against planting strawberries where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant recently grew, because those crops can carry verticillium wilt, a serious disease of strawberries.