Fruit · Perennial fruit
Strawberries
Fragaria × ananassaStrawberries spread by runners into a thick mat, delivering the first fruit within their first full year in the ground. Pinching off early flowers channels energy into stronger roots instead of a small first crop. The one rule: keep ripening fruit off wet soil to avoid rot.
Sow depth
Crown at soil level
Spacing
12–16 in apart
Sun
Full sun
Germination
20–30 days to establish
Time to harvest
365–425 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow strawberries
- Sow from about 3 weeks before your last expected frost until about 3 weeks after your last expected frost.
Plant runners at crown level — burying the crown too deep causes rot.Spread roots out in the planting hole and firm soil gently around them.Water in well and keep soil moist while plants root into the bed.
Remove first-year flowers — this builds stronger roots for future crops.Mulch with straw under trusses to keep ripening fruit clean and dry.Trim excess runners unless propagating new plants from them.
Pick fully red fruit — strawberries do not ripen further once picked.Harvest every couple of days during the main flush to catch peak fruit.Pick with the green cap attached to keep berries fresher longer.