What Spacing Should I Use to Grow Strawberries?

Strawberry Types

• June-bearers, as the name implies, set fruit in summer. Also called spring-bearing strawberries, the plants do not produce fruit during their first year, but make up for it with a large crop the following season. Day-neutral, or improved everbearing strawberry plants, produce fruit the first summer after planting. Many gardeners plant both types, so they can enjoy the fruits of their labors more quickly. When purchasing strawberry plants, specify which type you want. Each type has different spacing requirements.

Planting Strawberries

• Plant the strawberries in early spring. Prepare a planting site with good drainage. A raised bed provides good drainage in wet areas. Choose a site where you haven't grown potatoes or tomatoes recently and test the soil to ensure the pH level is between 5.8 and 6.5. Strawberries prefer fertile soil containing plenty of organic matter. If needed, amend the soil with fertilizer and lime. Space June-bearing strawberry plants 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 18 to 24 inches wide and 36 to 40 inches apart. Space day-neutral strawberries 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart.

  Space June-bearing strawberry plants 1 to 2 feet apart in rows 18 to 24 inches wide and 36 to 40 inches apart. Space day-neutral strawberries 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart. (Ref. 1)

Plant Control

• Removing all flowers from June-bearing plants appearing during the first growing season ensures better fruit production the following season. June-bearing strawberries flower until mid-summer. Remove the flowers from day-neutral plants for the first six weeks after planting. Allow the flowers to remain after that, so they develop into fruit. Check the alley between rows regularly for runners. Remove day-neutral runners. Let June-bearing plants grow into a large, vigorous mat.

Varieties

• Removing all flowers from June-bearing plants appearing during the first growing season ensures better fruit production the following season. June-bearing strawberries flower until mid-summer. Remove the flowers from day-neutral plants for the first six weeks after planting. Allow the flowers to remain after that, so they develop into fruit. Check the alley between rows regularly for runners. Remove day-neutral runners. Let June-bearing plants grow into a large, vigorous mat.