7 Steps for Growing Strawberries in Containers - Beginner Guide

For good reason, strawberries are the most popular little fruit planted in home gardens. Few things bring back memories of summer like biting into a fresh, juicy strawberry. Why not cultivate these delicious berries in your own backyard? They can be cultivated in all temperate climates across the world! Strawberries are a low-maintenance crop that may be grown in tiny spaces or in large garden areas. Strawberry cultivation does not necessitate the use of specialist equipment.

On a deck, porch, patio, or balcony, they can even be planted in a container or pot. Growing strawberries has several advantages, one of which being their perennial nature. After the first year of planting strawberries, you may reap the benefits of your efforts for several years with no effort. With careful care, each strawberry plant may easily yield a full quart of strawberries. An average household should be able to get enough strawberries from about twenty-five strawberry plants. What you commonly buy with strawberries in stores is maybe an even more compelling reason to consider producing strawberries in your own yard.

7 Steps for Growing Strawberries in Containers

Some crops can be grown in pots just as easily as they can in the ground. Some even more so. Strawberries, however, do not fit into either of these groups. You must get everything just perfect if you want them to develop successfully in pots.

1. Choose Your Location

Strawberries like 8 to 12 hours of direct sunlight every day. However, they dislike being too hot, which makes cultivating them in containers difficult.

Set your strawberry planters on a south-facing porch or patio if you live in a moderate area. If you're dealing with more intense heat or high-altitude sunshine, a bright east-facing position is preferable. You may even start the seedlings facing south and move them to a location with less afternoon sun as the season progresses.

2. Select the Suitable Containers and Soil

The leaves of strawberries are heat tolerant, but the roots are not. This is a difficulty when growing strawberries in containers since the soil is significantly warmer than in the ground. To counter this, pick a light-colored strawberry container that will reflect part of the sunlight.

Make sure your containers have lots of drainage holes as well. Pots with only one large drainage hole in the center or a few little ones are insufficient. If the pot is plastic or metal, you can drill more holes.

Because strawberry plants have shallow roots, a deep pot isn't required, but they do prefer their space, so use broad pots. Fill the pots with a loamy potting soil that will retain moisture without becoming wet.

3. Choose Your Starter Plants

You must first select the variety of strawberry you wish to raise. Strawberry types that grow fruit in June only do so once, while others that give fruit all summer. Day-neutral strawberries, the last choice, yield significant crops of berries three times during the summer.

Starting strawberries from seed is a time-consuming and challenging task that should only be attempted by the patient. Instead, go to your local nursery and purchase transplants or crowns.

Crowns are dormant stems with root balls that are cut from mature plant runners. These should be sown after the last hard cold in the spring. Transplants can be started at any time during the spring, from early to late. Plant three plants every square foot of floor space.

4. Water and Feed Often

All through the spring, water often enough to keep the soil wet without overdoing it. In the summer, give your plants less water at a time and water them more often, up to several times a day. This will keep the roots of your strawberries cool without overwatering the soil.

Strawberries in pots require fertilization every three weeks with a standard 10-10-10 liquid fertilizer.

6. Protect Your Fruit

Growing strawberries in containers has the advantage of being less sensitive to insects and animals. However, you must still take some steps to protect them.

If you notice slugs or other pests eating your strawberries, cover them with cedar mulch. Use garden netting to keep birds away from your berries if they've discovered your harvest.

7. Harvest and Enjoy

Depending on the strawberry variety you grow, you may only get one or many harvests during the summer. Cut the stem immediately above the fruit to harvest the berries after they have gone totally red.

Pest & Diseases

When growing strawberries, one of the greatest defense measures for warding off diseases and pests is to use healthy transplants. Plants should be purchased from well-known nurseries or garden stores.

Fungicides for home gardens can control most diseases affecting leaves, flowers, and fruits. Make sure the packaging says it may be used on strawberries and follow the guidelines on the label. To avoid infection, remove any dead or damaged leaves from the plants.

Sulfur can be used to combat powdery mildew. Before spraying sulfur, make sure the temperature is below 80°F; otherwise, it will burn the fruit and foliage.

Strawberry plant insects change with the seasons. Caterpillars appear early in the season, followed by aphids and thrips. Spidermites are a tenacious nuisance that can be seen around December.

If you plant your strawberries in the same area every year, nematodes and soilborne diseases might create difficulties. Switch up your planting spots and avoid growing strawberries where tomatoes, eggplant, or other verticillium wilt-prone veggies have recently been cultivated.