What to plant
Growing Strawberries in Raised Beds
Set bare-root strawberry plants 12 to 18 inches apart in early spring, with the crown sitting right at soil level. A sunny raised bed with 8 to 12 inches of loose, slightly acidic soil keeps berries clean and roots from rotting.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plant type | Bare-root crowns or potted transplants |
| Plant spacing | 12–18 in; 12 in for day-neutral types |
| Crown depth | Middle of the crown level with the soil |
| Soil pH | 5.5–6.5 |
| Bed depth | 8–12 in |
| Water | About 1 to 1.5 in a week while fruiting |
| First harvest | Next spring for June-bearers; mid to late summer for day-neutrals |
| Replant | Every 3 to 4 years |
When to plant
Strawberries are perennials, and in most of the country they go in early in spring, roughly two to four weeks ahead of the last frost, as soon as the bed is dry enough to dig. Dormant bare-root crowns handle chilly soil and light frost well. Open blossoms do not: cover plants with frost cloth any night forecast to drop to about 32°F once flowers show.
In mild-winter areas (roughly zone 8 and warmer), gardeners often plant in fall instead, about four to six weeks before the first fall frost, so plants root over winter and bear the following spring.
Spacing and depth
Give each plant 12 to 18 inches. In a 4-foot-wide bed that means three staggered rows, or about 20 to 30 plants in a 4x8. Day-neutral types make few runners, so you can plant them on the tighter end. While new plants are small, a quick row of leaf lettuce can use the open space and be cut before the runners spread. If you are still deciding how much room to give fruit versus vegetables, start with what to plant in a raised bed.
Depth of planting matters more than anything else here. Fan the roots out in a hole deep enough to hold them straight down, then firm the soil so the middle of the crown sits exactly at the surface. Buried crowns rot; exposed roots dry out. For the bed itself, 8 to 12 inches of soil is plenty. Our bed depth guide covers what to do if the bed sits on hard ground.
Soil and feeding
Strawberries like loose soil rich in organic matter and slightly acidic, with a pH near 6. A standard raised bed soil mix with plenty of compost suits them. Avoid a spot where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant grew in the past three or four years, since those crops can carry verticillium wilt, which also attacks strawberries.
Feed lightly. Work an inch of compost into the bed before planting. Feed June-bearers after harvest, not in spring; heavy spring nitrogen makes soft fruit that rots easily. Day-neutral plants do better with small doses of balanced fertilizer every four to six weeks from late spring to late summer.
Watering
Shallow roots and quick-draining bed soil mean strawberries dry out fast. Aim for 1 to 1.5 inches a week, and be steady from first bloom until the last berries ripen, when fruit size depends on water. Run drip line or a soaker hose under the mulch so the fruit and leaves stay dry, which cuts down on gray mold. See watering raised garden beds for timer and drip setups.
Crop specifics: June-bearing vs everbearing, runners, mulch, birds
June-bearing or everbearing
June-bearing varieties give one large crop over two to three weeks in late spring or early summer. Pick off their flowers the first year so they build strong roots; the payoff is a full crop the year after. Everbearing and day-neutral varieties fruit in smaller flushes from early summer into fall. Pinch their flowers for about the first six weeks after planting, then let them set fruit.
Runners
June-bearers throw out long stolons that root into new plants. Let a few fill gaps so each plant has about a foot of room, and cut the rest. Too many runners crowd the bed, shrink berries and invite disease. After harvest, thin old plants and trim leaves to a few inches above the crowns to renew the patch.
Mulch
Spread 2 to 3 inches of clean straw or pine needles around plants once the soil warms. It keeps berries off the dirt and holds moisture. Raised beds freeze harder than ground soil in winter, so in cold regions cover the dormant plants with 3 to 4 inches of loose straw after a few hard frosts, and pull it back in spring as new leaves appear.
Birds
Birds and squirrels often find berries the day they turn red. Drape bird netting over hoops so it sits a few inches above the plants rather than on them, and pin the edges to the bed frame.
Harvest
Berries ripen about four to six weeks after bloom. Pick every one to three days, when the whole fruit is red, in the cool of the morning. Pinch the stem rather than pulling the berry so the green cap stays on. Store them unwashed in the fridge and rinse just before eating. Expect yields to drop after the third year; that is the time to start a fresh bed with new, certified disease-free plants.
Common problems
Gray, fuzzy berries
Gray mold thrives on fruit that touches wet soil. Mulch with straw, water at the base and pick rotting berries out right away.
Holes chewed in ripe fruit
Slugs feed at night under mulch. Trap them with boards laid on the soil and remove them each morning.
Small, lumpy berries
Frost on blossoms, poor pollination or plant bugs feeding on flowers can deform fruit. Cover blooms on cold nights.
Plants wilting and dying
Crowns set too deep, soggy soil or verticillium wilt are the usual causes. Replant with clean stock in a fresh spot.