How to Grow Strawberries in Bark Mulch

Plant strawberries in mid-spring, just after the last frost of the year. Although the plants are hardy to frost when they mature, they need warm weather for plantings and establishment. Plant the berries when night time temperatures warm to 60 degrees F.

Find a site that gives you 10 to 20 square feet of space for planting and gets full sunshine all day, with quick drainage and air circulation. Strawberry plants will grow in partial shade but won't bloom or bear ripe fruit, and must always get quick drainage. Don't plant strawberries in spots where you've grown tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or potatoes since those crops may leave diseases in the soil that will attack strawberry plants.

Amend the soil several days before planting to give it time to settle. Dig into the top 6 inches of soil to loosen it and add 3 inches of organic compost to give the strawberry plants a rich, crumbly and moist growing foundation. Strawberries do best with plenty of fertile organic nutrition. Mix 6-24-24 fertilizer into the top 6 inches of soil at a rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet of growing space. Water the site evenly for 30 minutes, and then allow it to rest.

Plant strawberries on a cool, cloudy day to keep them from drying out during the planting process. Space the plants at 15 to 24 inches in the row, with 36 to 48 inches between rows. Plant the strawberries so that the junction of roots to stem sits at soil level; these plants die with overly deep or shallow plantings.

Water the strawberry patch until the water soaks down 3 to 4 inches in the soil, then lay 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch like wood bark or pine chips between the plantings and rows. The mulch maintains soil warmth and moisture and restricts weed growth for the plants.

Water strawberries with 2 inches of water every week and maintain your mulch layer throughout the season. The mulch will break down over time, so mix it into the soil to compost and add a new layer.