Individual plants will do fine with a 6- to 8-inch pot. You can move your containers into an unheated garage or under a deck for winter protection. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. Remember to rotate the container every week. Keep the containers in an unheated garage, basement, or room. But you also don't want them to remain dry for days and start to wilt, especially while the fruits are forming. However, everbearing strawberries are not as hardy as the day-neutral varieties and will need protection to make it through cold winters. You really have two option when it comes to protecting potted strawberries – bringing them indoors, or digging the pots into the ground for winter. Most strawberry plants will stop producing fruit after 3 to 4 years. This article has been viewed 348,953 times. For garden planting, plant 15" apart in the row with 3-4' between rows. Strawberries also look lovely in hanging baskets or ceramic pots. Without the thick and insulating properties of the ground surrounding their roots, strawberries in pots will often see their root temperature rise with the temperature of the surrounding soil. To grow strawberries in a pot, start by purchasing a starter plant or a runner from a nursery, along with a pot that’s 16 to 18 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. How can I save my runners if they have roots and are dry? Keep the pot away from windy areas and feel the soil often to see if it is dry. Fill the container with a loose, loamy potting mix that will hold moisture but quickly drain away any excess water. If you would not like to grow more strawberries, then you can simply remove the runners. What is the best fertilizer for a strawberry plant in a pot? The green, thickened stem (called the crown) should sit just above the surface of the soil while the top of the roots should sit just below the surface. Learned things I wasn't aware of. Strawberry Plant Sort out. Last Updated: June 4, 2020 Add more potting mix as needed after the soil settles from watering. Strawberries produce best if they are allowed to go dormant in the winter. 10: Strawberry plants have a short life. If you decide to use a hanging box, it is important to make sure that the plant does not dry out easily. These vigorous everbearing plants produce white flowers, and they do best in full sun in Zones 6-8. Either several drainage holes at the bottom of the container or multiple holes throughout the container will do. Yes, you can grow them indoors. For large and heavy pots, load the bottom of the pot with small rocks or ceramic pieces. I have never had a plant before, so, "Very helpful since this was my first time planting strawberries and I didn't want to have to start them straight in, "I love this website because it's so useful and detailed. Thank you. Strawberries can be bought as potted plants or bare-rooted runners. If birds are eating your berries, drape a net or mesh over the plant to keep them away. During the growing season, you will want to use fertilizer every 10 days. ", getting ready to plant their first strawberry pot. Choosing the Right Type of Plant. Perpetual/everbearing strawberry ‘Buddy’ growing in a terracotta planter ‘Buddy’ is a newer, everbearing variety with very sweet fruits on plants with good disease-resistance and weather tolerance. For more tips from our Horticultural reviewer, like how to harvest strawberries, read on! The selection of fertilizer should be done according to requirements of plant. Watering the base of the plant and not the leaves can help prevent fungus from growing. Day-neutral plants (which produce multiple small harvests) or everbearing plants (which produce 2 harvests a year) are ideal for growing in containers. If standing water remains in the pot after you’ve watered, cut back on how much water you give the plants. Insects, birds, and rodents will still be attracted to your plants, so keep them protected with netting or fencing. Then, cover the roots up to the crown with the potting mix, and water the soil well. There are several types of pots available. References It will. Winterizing strawberry pots in cold climates can be accomplished by putting the pots in a cool garage or cellar, or by removing the plants from the pot, planting them in plastic pots and planting those pots in the ground up to the top rim of the pots (leaving the plants exposed). £4.99. Place the strawberries plants under it for 6-10 hours a day. Because June-bearing strawberry plants produce a singular crop of strawberries in spring to early summer, late spring frosts can damage or kill the fruit. You should only place one to two plants in small containers, but you can fill all the openings of a strawberry jar (a planter crafted specifically for growing strawberries). Approved. Check growing almanacs for the last expected frost date in your area. To plant your strawberries, you’ll need to consider the type of container, and where you’ll put it. Here is a Step by Step Guide on How to Grow Strawberries on Pots 1. These strawberry planters also produced the highest yield of strawberries, in our trial. Strawberries have a natural habit of hanging down so growing in containers is a perfect match. How can I keep them from laying in the dirt as they grow? It was helpful to learn the proper way of planting by making, "I got a strawberry plant from an Earth Day celebration after making a donation. This will give them necessary nutrients for growth. A strawberry pot is a particularly great way to grow strawberries if space is a consideration. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/9a\/Grow-Strawberries-in-a-Pot-Step-01.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Strawberries-in-a-Pot-Step-01.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/9a\/Grow-Strawberries-in-a-Pot-Step-01.jpg\/aid2132386-v4-728px-Grow-Strawberries-in-a-Pot-Step-01.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"