Growing June-Bearing Strawberries in a Container

Line a container with landscaping fabric to cover the bottom and drainage holes. Fill the container with equal amounts of potting soil and compost until it is filled 1 inch from the rim. Dig holes in the soil every foot, depending on the size of your pot, for each strawberry plant you want to grow.

Plant potted transplants by lifting the plants from their pots and setting them into the holes. Plant bare-root transplants by cutting the roots with a knife to only 4 inches long and splaying the roots as you set each plant into a different hole.

Press the soil around each plant’s base to cover the crown -- the knotty portion between the roots and leaves -- no more than halfway with soil. Ideally, only the portion of the crown that directly touches the roots should be buried.

Set the container around your home in a place where it will receive full sun for at least six hours each day.

Water the plants enough to dampen the soil without using so much that it gets soggy. Water one to two times a week to keep the soil consistently moist.

Apply a dose of fertilizer to your strawberry plants once a year at the end of summer using either granules, which are sprinkled over the soil, or by diluting the feed in water and using it to water your plants. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the quantity to use for your sized pot so as to avoid overfeeding.

Spread 1 inch of straw around the base of each plant as well as over the soil between plants. Replace the straw once a year, such as at fertilizing time, or if it begins to look moldy.