How to Grow Strawberries in a Home Garden

Strawberries fall under three basic types. June-bearing strawberries, which are the most widely planted strawberry, produce a crop of strawberries in late spring. Everbearing strawberries produce berries in spring and produce a second crop lasting from late summer to the first frost. Day-neutral strawberry plants produce fruit during cool weather. Strawberries aren't difficult to grow and require a relatively small space.

Things You'll Need

Spade or garden fork
Organic material
Trowel

Granular slow-release fertilizer or fertilizer for berries and fruit
Soaker hose or drip system

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a sunny spot in your garden; strawberries need at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Use a spade or garden fork to cultivate the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Work 3 to 4 inches of an organic material such as compost or manure into the soil. Work in an additional 2 to 4 inches of organic material if your soil is clay-based.
- 2
  Use a trowel to dig a hole for each strawberry plant. Allow 12 to 24 inches between each plant. The hole should be twice the width of the strawberry plant's root system, but no deeper.
- 3
  Place 1 tsp. of a granular, slow-release fertilizer in the bottom of the hole. Alternatively, use a fertilizer formulated for berries and fruit.
- 4
  Place the strawberry plant in the hole with the crown of the plant slightly above the soil. The crown is the area where the leafy top growth joins the roots. Burying the crown can cause the strawberry plant to rot. Fill in the hole with soil, then pat the soil around the roots.
- 5
  Water the strawberry plants after planting. Thereafter, keep the soil consistently moist, but never soggy. Water at the base of the plants or use a soaker hose or drip system. Avoid spraying the foliage.
- 6
  Harvest the strawberries when the berries are evenly red or pinkish-red.

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