How To Grow Strawberries In Containers

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If you’ve ever grown strawberries on the ground, you know they can spread aggressively and dominate your garden if uncontrolled. So, how can you plant this delicious fruit if you don’t have a sprawling garden? Use containers.

You don’t require acres of land to grow strawberries; these trees grow well and easily in containers. Growing strawberries in containers also helps protect them from pests, disease, and soil-borne problems.

With the right tactics, a sunny spot, and properly selected containers, you’ll have strawberry trees that produce fresh, juicy fruits in no time.

This guide provides a detailed look into growing strawberries in pots, including step-by-step instructions, benefits, selecting the containers and soil, and the best varieties for containers.

The Best Strawberry Varieties To Grow In Containers

How To Grow Strawberries In Containers

You can grow any strawberry variety in containers, but some types will give you a more bountiful harvest than others, so you must choose wisely.

1. June-Bearing Strawberries

They are popular because of their prolific fruit production. June-Bearing strawberries produce large, sweet, juicy fruits.

June-Bearing strawberries aren’t the best choice for container growing because they send out many runners, making them prone to crowding. However, if you choose to, grow Jewel,Tillamook, and Cabot varieties.

2. Everbearing Strawberries

These varieties produce fewer fruits than June-bearing varieties, but you’ll get a good amount of produce in late summer, late spring, and even fall. Everbearing strawberries are more suited for containers than June-bearing since they produce fewer runners.

Everbearing cultivars suitable for containers include Seascape, Tristar, Ozark Beauty, and Temptation.

3. Alpine Strawberries

These strawberries produce highly flavored fruits and grow quite well in pots. Choose Improved Ruegen, Alexandria, or Mignonette varieties.

4. Day-Neutral Strawberries

Day-neutral strawberries are highly suitable for container growing because they have fewer runners, are more compact, and generate a steady fruit supply. You can grow them in hanging baskets, vertical planters, or small pots.

Cultivars to consider for containers include Albion, Tristar, and Mara des Bois.

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Select The Right Container

growing strawberries for beginners

The containers you grow your strawberries in will significantly impact their health and productivity. Consider these during selection:

i) Size

The containers you grow your strawberries in don’t need to be deep because strawberry plants have shallow roots. Pick planters at least 8 inches deep and 10 inches wide. Use a much bigger pot if you intend to grow multiple strawberry plants in one container for over a month.

ii) Container Type

Try terracotta pots if you want something beautiful and eco-friendly to grow your strawberries. Since they are porous, the roots will get enough oxygen; unfortunately, this also means they dry out faster, so you’ll have to water your plants more often.

Wooden containers retain moisture better than terracotta pots and also offer better insulation. On the other hand, consider plastic pots if you want planters that hold moisture much longer or intend to move your plants around more often.

Growing strawberries in hanging baskets protects them from pests and lets them cascade beautifully over the sides, showcasing stunning fruits and flowers. Window boxes also work great, offering a cottage-style look.

Another option is strawberry towers. You’ll be able to grow many strawberries in a small space because these planters have multiple openings on the sides for growing the plants. Their design also makes harvesting easier. You’ll have to water strawberry plants growing in towers more often, though.

Note

Choose light-colored containers, especially in warm areas, since strawberry plants hate extreme temperatures. Also, ensure the pots have enough drainage holes.

Potting Mix

Your container-grown strawberry plants will do well in any loamy potting mix, provided it is high quality and well-draining. It’s best to avoid garden soil because it can be too compact and dense for containers. Buy a potting mix and improve its moisture retention and drainage by mixing it with vermiculite.

Alternatively, make your own by combining compost (2 parts), vermiculite (3 scoops), sphagnum peat moss (2 parts), and perlite (1 part).

Step-by-Step Instructions Planting Strawberries In Containers

How to grow strawberries in pots

The process of growing strawberries in containers is pretty much straightforward. Below is what to do:

1) Prepare The Container

Pour some potting mix into the container, but don’t fill it.

2) Plant The Strawberries

You can grow strawberries from bare-root crowns or transplants. Bare-root crowns take some time to generate leaves, while transplants readily look lush.

  • Bare-Root Crowns

Soak the bare roots for around 20 minutes. After that, plant strawberries in a way that the crown is flush with the soil. Do not bury the crown, as this can cause rot, nor should you place it too high above the soil, as the roots may dry out.

  • Transplants

Make a hole in the container, then place the transplant inside, keeping the crown at soil level.

3) Space The Plants Appropriately

If the container is small, plant one strawberry plant in it. On the other hand, you can fit multiple plants in large containers but leave 10-12 inches between them.

Plant strawberry plants close to the container edges to let the fruits hang over the sides. When planting multiple strawberries in a pot, stagger them in a triangular pattern.

4) Water The Plants

Once you finish planting the strawberries, water them to help settle the soil, hydrate the plants, and help them settle well in the containers. If needed, add more potting soil after the soil settles.

5) Position The Containers Properly

Place the containers in a sunny spot to ensure the plants get enough sunlight (at least 6 hours every day). Rotate your strawberry plants every 3-4 days to make sure every part receives light.

If your region experiences extremely hot days, place the containers in areas exposed to the morning sun and shaded in the afternoon.

6) Aftercare

  • Strawberries growing in containers tend to dry out faster than inground ones, so monitoring them is imperative. Water them regularly to moisten the soil, but don’t overwater them.
  • Supplemental fertilizing will benefit container-grown strawberries. Apply liquid fertilizers every 3-4 weeks.
  • Potted strawberry plants will go dormant in winter and need protection to ensure they don’t freeze. Put them under a deck or inside an unheated garage. Water them when the soil gets extremely dry.
  • While container growing makes strawberries less susceptible to pests and birds, they can still attack them. Consider covering the plants with a light netting.

Benefits of Growing Strawberries In Containers

Growing strawberries in pots

Below are compelling reasons to plant strawberries in containers:

a) Prevent Pests and Diseases

The reduced susceptibility to pests and diseases is a big reason for growing strawberries in containers. For instance, since you can use fresh, disease-free potting mix to grow strawberries in containers, it lowers the risk of soil-borne infections and pests that live in the soil, such as grubs and cutworms.

Containers also make it harder for crawling pests and insects to access strawberries. While bugs like earwigs and pill bugs that often eat strawberries can climb containers, they rarely do. You can elevate the pots further by placing them on bricks or hanging them.

b) Container Growing Saves Space

Plants grown in containers take up considerably less space compared to in-ground ones. This approach allows you to grow strawberries in space-constrained places.

Since strawberries are compact trees, you can grow them in containers and place them on balconies, windowsills, your garden’s tight corners, and patios.

Utilizing vertical space is possible if you grow strawberries in containers; this helps free up ground space for other plants. To establish a vertical strawberry garden, use hanging baskets, wall-mounted planters, or strawberry towers.

c) Portability

Unlike growing strawberries in the ground, you can shift around plants in containers. For instance, you can relocate them to a different place for more sunlight exposure or to protect them from unfavorable weather conditions.

Container growing comes in handy, especially in places with fluctuating weather. Moreover, you can rearrange the plants to accommodate other components of your outdoor spaces. For example, you can move your strawberry plants to a different place to make room when hosting a gathering.

d) Decorate Spaces

You can turn various corners of your home, such as the patio, balcony, and pathways, bright with container-grown strawberries. For instance, the green, lush leaves add a touch of green, while the lovely pink or white flowers are small but captivating.

In addition, the vibrant red berries effortlessly make spaces brighter. The trailing vines will create a beautiful, flowing appearance if you grow strawberries in hanging baskets.

Beyond the tree, the containers you use can just be as appealing aesthetically.

e) Less Competition

Strawberries don’t have to compete for resources with other plants when grown in containers, leading to healthier plants. Growing strawberries in containers allows you to tailor the perfect environment for the plant’s needs.

Containers also make it easier to space your strawberry plants, helping prevent overcrowding, which is common in garden beds. Whether you grow one or 2 to 3 plants in each pot, you can ensure each plant has ample space.

Conclusion

Even with plenty of space in your garden, you can still establish a strawberry container garden. The flexibility, refuge from pests and diseases, and the space you can save make this approach quite appealing. You can manage a container strawberry garden whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener.

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