How to Plan a Strawberry Patch

Plan the strawberry patch in the mid-fall so that you can prepare it before it's time to plant in the early spring. Look for a planting site that is on level ground and in full sunlight. Do not plant strawberries in the same location where you previously planted peppers, tomatoes, potatoes or eggplant.

Dig into the soil in the chosen site to make sure it is not soggy and is dark in color, which means it is loam. If the soil is not loam, spread 6 to 8 inches of compost, peat moss or manure over the soil. Push a tiller over the site, setting the blade depth to 12 inches to mix in the organic matter.

Spread 2 to 3 lbs. of a 6-24-24 or 5-10-5 slow-release granular fertilizer over the site to incorporate nutrients. Mix the fertilizer into the soil, using the tiller.

Read up on different strawberry varieties to decide whether you want an early-, mid- or late-season producer. According to the Purdue University Extension, "Earliglow," "Annapolis" and "Delmarvel" are good early producers, while "Guardian," "Honeoye," "Redchief" and "Surecrop" are midseason producers. Some late-season producers include "Allstar," "Jewel" and "Sparkle."

Create either mounded soil rows or hills for the strawberry plants. If you're using rows, make them 4 to 5 inches high and 3 to 4 feet apart. If you're using the mound method, make them the same depth, but form them into a circle and space each mound 2 feet apart.