Ripe, juicy strawberries are among summer's sweetest rewards—and one of the easiest, most versatile garden crops. They offer spring flowers, spring-to-summer fruit, and attractive foliage most of the year. Whether in traditional rows, raised beds, containers, or as edging, there's a strawberry for every garden.
Sage Ecological Landscapes and Nursery
Strawberry Types
- June-bearing: Large fruit over 2–3 weeks in June/early July. Vigorous runners. Varieties: Allstar, Annapolis, Benton, Camarosa, Chandler, Earliglow, Guardian, Honeoye, Hood, Jewel, Puget Reliance, Rainier, Seneca, Sequoia.
- Everbearing: Smaller, tidier plants; 2–3 crops per season. Varieties: Fort Laramie, Ozark Beauty, Quinault.
- Day-neutral: Small, less aggressive; fruit spring through fall. Rising popularity. Varieties: Albion, Fern, Seascape, Selva, Tribute, Tristar.
- Alpine: Tiny, intensely flavored fruit all summer; grown from seed; heat-sensitive. Varieties: Alexandria, Alpine Yellow, Alpine White, Fragola di Bosco, Mignonette.
- Musk: Spring crop only; intense flavor; needs male pollinator. Varieties: Capron, Profumata di Tortona.
Kate Michels Landscape Design
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Growing Basics
- When to plant: Cold climates: early spring (3–4 weeks before last frost). Warm climates: winter, early spring, or fall.
- Climate: Varieties exist for all conditions—consult local nursery/extension for best matches and disease resistance.
- Light: Full sun (partial shade for alpine/musk).
- Water: Regular, consistent moisture.
- Rotation: Avoid planting where eggplant, peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes grew recently (verticillium wilt risk).
- Lifespan: Production declines after 3–5 years; replace. Treat as annuals in extreme climates.
Planting
Choose rich, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral soil. Alkaline soil? Use raised beds or containers. Work in complete fertilizer; build small mounds for drainage if desired.
- Space 18–24 inches apart (8–12 inches for alpines).
- Set crown at or just above soil level—too deep causes rot.
- Firm soil around roots; protect with row covers if heavy frost expected.
- Containers/raised beds: minimum 8 inches deep; hanging baskets 12 inches.
Amy Renea
Gardening with Confidence®
Care
- Runner management: Cultivate lightly for 2 weeks (everbearing/day-neutral) to 6 weeks (June-bearing) to allow runner spread, then remove excess.
- Mulch: Straw or light-colored mulch suppresses weeds.
- Blossom removal: Pinch early blooms to strengthen plants. June-bearing: first 2 weeks (or all first year). Everbearing: first flush. Day-neutral: first 6 weeks. Alpines: don't remove.
- Water: 1–2 inches/week during fruiting.
- Fertilizer: June-bearing/alpine/musk: balanced/low-N in spring, heavier after harvest. Everbearing/day-neutral: light feeding all season after fruit set.
- Pests: Aphids, mites, slugs, root weevils. Birds are the biggest threat—use netting.
- Diseases: Blight, fruit rot, powdery mildew, verticillium wilt—monitor and remove affected plants.
- Winter care (cold climates): Cover with straw mulch by late fall; reuse in spring if late frost threatens.
Gardening with Confidence®
Rejuvenation
June-bearing: After fruiting, thin to 6-inch spacing, mow foliage 1–4 inches above crown, add soil and fertilizer.
All others: Divide in spring.
Laara Copley-Smith Garden & Landscape Design
Harvest
Pick when fully red. Cut or pinch stems to avoid bruising fragile fruit.
Related: Plant Guides: How to Grow the Top Summer Crops
