Planting Times for Strawberries

Planting Time

• The best time to plant strawberries depends on your climate. If you have colder winters and your garden gets hit with frost and snow, plant in the early spring, as soon as you're able to work the soil. The University of Illinois Extension recommends planting in March or early April. If winters are mild in your region, plant your strawberry plants in the fall. If you plant in the spring, you'll get your first crop the following year, while fall plants produce their first berries in their first spring.

Ideal Weather Conditions

• When planting your strawberries, you want the soil to be moist, not soggy. If the ground is wet, wait a few days for the sun to dry it out before planting. Avoid planting when it's very sunny or windy. These conditions will cause the fine root systems of your plants to dry out quickly if they're left uncovered. You can briefly dip the root systems of your plants in water to moisten them before planting, but you should not soak the roots in water. Wait for a calm, cloudy day and plant your berries in late afternoon for best results.

Caring for New Plants

• Bury your plants' root systems so that the midpoint of the crown is level with the soil's surface. If you're planting in the spring, pluck flowers from your plants as they appear. During the first season, you want your plants to focus on establishing themselves and growing new runners, not producing berries. If you plant in the fall, don't pick off the plant blooms, since plants that take root during the fall are mature enough to produce berries when they flower the following spring. Weed your plants through cultivation and hand-hoeing. The Government of New Brunswick's website recommends applying 200 grams (about 7 oz.) of 6-12-12 or 10-10-10 fertilizer for each 6 meter (19- to 20-foot) row four to six weeks after planting.

Winter Care

• Strawberry plants need to be mulched to stave off damage from winter freezes and thaws and to prevent premature blooming in the early spring. Use oat or rye straw as mulch to cover your plants. Apply the mulch after the first hard freeze. Light frost doesn't hurt strawberry plants, but any temperature lower than 16 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 degrees Celsius) could spell trouble for your strawberries. Make your mulch layer about 2 inches thick. Remove the mulch in early spring when you notice new leaf growth on your plants.