If you want fresh strawberries in your garden this summer it's time to plant! Here is my easy guide with 5 quick tips, plus answers to some common questions to help you grow the best strawberries this season!
The great thing about growing strawberries is that they are really easy! You can pretty well just plant them and let them do their thing but to ensure you get the most out of your strawberry plants I've got 5 quick tips for success and I've also answered some common questions that you may have when it comes to growing strawberries.
5 quick tips for growing great strawberries
- Plant them in winter
- Choose a sunny spot
- Plant 5 plants per person
- Protect from birds & slugs
- Mound up the soil or use straw
Strawberry planting FAQ's
What is the best time of year to plant strawberries?
The best time to plant strawberries in New Zealand is in winter. Any time from June-September for warmer climates and August/September for cooler climates (somewhere it snows!). Strawberries need to time to get established before they produce fruit so planting them in winter means that they will be ready to fruit this summer. Most plants require planting either morning or evening to help avoid transplant shock but this is more common in summer when it is hot in the middle of the day, so in winter I don't worry about this.
What conditions do strawberries do best in?
Strawberries require a nice sunny spot and well draining soil. Some shade is fine, as is a polytunnel or grow house. They also need a bit of room, so plant them around 30-40cm apart from each other.
Do I need to use pea straw or hay?
You don't need to, but I've found putting pea straw or hay around the base of the plants does a great job at keeping the berries off the ground and nice and clean. It also seems to make it harder for the slugs and snails to get to them and easier to pick them!
Do I need to protect my strawberries from birds and or bugs?
YES! There is nothing worse than watching those delicious berries slowly ripen and then going out to pick them only to find that the birds or slugs have beaten you to it. Covering your plants will protect them from the birds. It doesn't need to be fancy - even just an old net curtain will do the trick! And you don't need to worry about covering them until the fruit starts to appear and ripen, but best to get ahead of the game and sort it now. Check out Pinterest for plenty of other creative ideas for covers.
For slugs and snails, you can use slug and snail pellets as long as you don't have hungry dogs or toddlers roaming around. I've used them in the past and they are very effective at pest control. For a more natural approach, try beer traps - dig a hole the size of a small plastic cup in the soil, place the cup in the hole and fill it with beer to attract the slugs and snails. It actually works extremely well, just make sure to empty the cup and replace the beer every so often - it can get pretty nasty!
How long does it take for a strawberry plant to produce fruit?
If you plant your strawberry plants now (winter) they will produce fruit this summer.
How long can you keep strawberry plants for?
Strawberry plants will keep producing year after year. A lot of people say you should replace them every 3 years but I've found they actually go longer than that. They produce well in the first year and then do even better year 2 and 3. You may notice that production starts to slow after this but they will still produce.
Do strawberries need to be planted in a garden?
No! Strawberries are one of those amazing plants that will do well almost anywhere, as long as they are in a sunny spot with well draining soil. Planter boxes, hanging baskets, a plastic flexi tub or even just straight in the bag of strawberry mix!
Do you need to use special strawberry fertiliser?
You definitely don't need anything other than good quality soil to plant your strawberries in, however using specially formulated strawberry mix or fertiliser may help you grow healthier plants that produce better. In saying that, I have always just put strawberries in the ground and left them to it and they've always done really well so it's completely up to you. Adding extras will only benefit the plants so it's definitely worth a try. Or even do what I'm doing and experiment - try half of the strawberry plants with strawberry mix and half without and see what happens. If nothing else, this is a fun experiment to do!
Happy strawberry growing!
If you have any other questions about planting or growing strawberries, leave a comment below or email me and I'll add the answers into the post!
Georgia says
Hey there
My crops are slowing down on production now. What are the best steps to take to care for the plants now the season is slowly ending and the winter is approaching?
Thanks
Laura says
I just leave them to it and during winter I will pull away all the dead leaves, remove and re plant any runners and then feed the strawberry plants with fertiliser to get them ready for the coming season!
Amanda says
Heya! I'm wondering if I could grow in pea hay, as I just read it on the tui website. And then just plonk these in containers on the ground. Have you used this method? Would these need a significantly larger and more frequent amount of water though?!
I'm up in Auckland and thinking to do it this week!
Laura says
Hi! If Tui says go for it, I'd definitely give it a try! I've not used this method, I always plant mine in soil but I do love an experiment! Definitely keep up with the watering especially over the hot days!
Fiona Peet says
Strawberry patch 2 years old, lots of runners grown to make a dense patch. Should I thin out so 30cm apart each plant ??
Thank you
Laura says
I would definitely separate the runners and plant them somewhere else - then your patch will just keep expanding!
Nicole k says
Hi there, can I get strawberry punnets at Bunnings now this time of the year and plant them and cover with netting for winter so I can have strawberry’s for summer
Laura says
Hi, you want to plant strawberries in winter so that they will fruit in the summer. No need to cover them until berries start appearing!
Allen Craven says
We have heaps of leaves on our plants,do we take some of them off,would it help fruit grow. Thankyou Allen
Laura says
Hi Allen. I wouldn't bother, I just leave the plants alone and they will produce plenty of strawberries! Laura
Singh Surjeet says
Hi. What to do for flowers on strawberry plants before November. Please tnx
Laura says
Hi Singh, I leave the flowers. Some people remove them at the beginning of the season but I never bother and always have great harvests! Laura
Vicki says
Hi Laura, This is my first time growing strawberries. My question is this - I've put pea straw down around my new plants but should I leave a little breathing room for them to grow at this stage (just beginning to show small flowers with tiny green buds/berries showing) or should I try to put the pea straw up underneath the leaves at this early stage? Also how often should I water them? I have a liquid strawberry plant food which says to do every week when flowering/fruiting. Should I be watering every day? Thanks so much 🙂
Laura says
Hi Vicki, I'm pretty terrible at remembering to water mine, I probably water them once or twice a week during the season. The plant food/fertiliser is a bonus, just do it when you remember! And as for pea straw, I would put it right under them now. They will grow up over it. Laura
Kylie says
Can you replant the shoots and if so how?
Laura says
Yes absolutely! I usually repot mine early in winter and then plant them out in the garden in late winter, but you can definitely just cut them off the main plant and plant them straight away. Laura
Charla S says
I am growing a little batch my first time and noticed that the strawberry plants have grown alot of runners in them to make more I am guessing
So my question is
Do I need to make a bigger space for them because they are growing over the bricks I put in to close them in
Laura says
Hi Charla, you can snip off the runners and plant them elsewhere (they will start producing strawberries too!) The plants really can take over once they start producing runners although that will slow down over summer once they start putting their energy into producing berries instead! Laura
Carol says
Can they stay out in the winter or do I have to take them inside
Laura says
They stay out in winter very happily! Laura
Janet says
Is it a good idea to cover strawberry mounds with polythene? If so, how do you water and fertilize? Thanks.
Laura says
Hi Janet! I cover the mounds with weed mat - purely to keep the berries up off the ground and away from bugs when they are ripe. The weed mat means that water can get through it (unlike polythene) and as for fertilising - I do it very awkwardly by reaching under the mat haha! I have the mat in 2 sections lengthways through the patch so I can get to the plants if need be. Laura
Christo says
What is the best planting time for strawberries in South Africa where we have temp down to - 4c during June - July
Laura says
Hi Christo, I would stick with the same time of year as our cooler parts of the country - anytime between July and September will be great! 🙂 Laura
Nicolette Winter says
Christo was asking about South Africa but I think you 5hought he meant South Island. It would be summer there now I assume.
Cheers,
Nicci
Laura says
Yes, I would still recommend planting strawberries in the later part of winter/early spring in South Africa, similar to the recommended times for planting in the South Island!