How to Raise Strawberries in Containers

Buy the right kind of plant for your area if you plan to grow strawberries in containers outdoors. For hotter climates, get a June-bearing variety. These plants produce fruit in spring and summer. Everbearing varieties fare better in milder climates.

Select a container for your strawberry plant that is at least 12 inches deep. Some strawberry varieties grow well in hanging baskets. Large barrels are available that have room for several plants.

Put the strawberry plant in the container. Fill the container with a mixture of loamy potting soil and a fertilizer that contains equal parts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Mix in 1 part sand for every 3 parts soil if the soil you are using contains no sand. Add a 1-inch layer of compost to the top of the soil.

Water the strawberry plant when the soil gets dry. Strawberry plants grown in containers outdoors need watering more frequently than indoor plants.

Put the strawberry plants in a container where they will receive at least eight hours of light per day.

Protect your plants from wildlife if you keep the containers outdoors. Cover the containers with netting or cheesecloth. Harvest the berries as soon as they are completely red to prevent animals from eating them.

Prune your strawberry plants after they stop producing berries if they are a June-bearing variety. Cut off the old leaves but do not cut the main stalk.