How to grow Strawberry

Fragaria ananassa · garden strawberry

Perennial fruiting plant typically grown from nursery plants or runners. Produces sweet red berries in late spring to summer.

Quick facts

Type	Berry
Family	Rosaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	5.5–6.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 7 °C
Germination	14 days
Sowing to harvest	90 days
Where it grows	Greenhouse, Open ground, At home

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Greenhouse

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 3 days	12…22 °C	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 2 days	14…24 °C	phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage
Fruiting	every 1 days	14…24 °C	potassium, at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 2 days	12…22 °C	—

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 3 days	10…24 °C	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 2 days	12…26 °C	phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage
Fruiting	every 1 days	12…26 °C	potassium, at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 2 days	10…24 °C	—

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 2 days	14…22 °C	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 2 days	16…24 °C	phosphorus and potassium, at the start of the stage
Fruiting	every 1 days	16…24 °C	potassium, at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 2 days	14…22 °C	—

Growing notes

Light

Needs at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily; reduced yield in shade.

Soil

Well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter; slightly acidic pH is ideal.

Care

Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Mulch with straw to protect fruit from soil and retain moisture. Remove runners if not propagating to focus energy on fruiting. Protect blossoms from late frosts with row covers.

How to tell it is ripe

Berry is bright red all over.
The red reaches right up to the green cap, with no white or green shoulders.
Cut one berry in half: a wide white ring inside means it is not fully ripe.
Taste one, because varieties differ in the shade of red that means ripe.
Pinch through the stalk about 6 mm above the cap instead of pulling the berry, and pick every two to four days.

Pests and diseases of Strawberry

Anthracnose
Chafer grubs
Fusarium Wilt
Grey Mold
Strawberry blossom weevil
Strawberry leaf spot
Two-spotted spider mite
Verticillium Wilt
Vine weevil
White mould (Sclerotinia)
Whitefly

Sources

Figures cited from these sources.