Choose a well-draining bed that receives full sun. Lay a 3-inch layer of compost over the garden bed and till it to a 12-inch depth using a hoe or power tiller. Work in 1 lb. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per every 100 square feet of garden bed.
Fill a bucket with warm water. Set the bare-root plants in the bucket so the roots are underwater. Allow them to soak for 20 minutes so the roots can rehydrate and begin breaking dormancy.
Dig your planting holes to the same depth as the length of the roots and twice as wide. Spread the roots out in the hole and refill the hole with soil. Keep the plant so the crown, the place where the stems emerge from the roots, sits right at soil level. Space the strawberry plants 18 inches apart in rows. Space the rows 3 feet apart.
Water immediately after planting, thoroughly moistening the soil around each plant. Lay down a 2-inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw or bark, around each plant to help preserve soil moisture, then continue to provide 1 to 2 inches of water a week to the bed.