Strawberries
Strawberries: when to plant, how to look after the bed and how to keep the fruit clean and safe from birds.
Strawberries at a glance
Fragaria × ananassa · Rosaceae
- Position
- Sunny and sheltered, away from frost pockets
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic
- Spacing
- 35–40 cm apart in rows about 75 cm apart (RHS)
- Plant
- August or September, or spring
- Harvest
- Early June to early autumn, by type
- Watering
- Regularly while establishing, in the morning, keeping fruit dry
- Difficulty
- Medium
When to sow and plant
Growing and care
Diseases and pests
Strawberries through the year
Every job for growing strawberries on one chart. Click a row to open the full guide.
Common questions
Why are my strawberries rotting on the plant?
Most often grey mould. The RHS says the fungus enters through the flowers and rots the fruit as it ripens. Keep water off the crown and fruit, water in the morning, put dry straw under the berries and clear dead and affected material promptly. More
When is the best time to plant strawberries?
August or September, says the RHS, so plants settle in before fruiting the next year. Spring planting also works, by May at the latest for pot-grown plants. More
Is it better to plant strawberries in autumn or spring?
The RHS says planting in August or September gives the plants time to establish before fruiting the following year. Spring planting also works. Garden Organic plants from September to October and from March to May. More
In this section we use these sources: Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), AHDB Horticulture, BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, Garden Organic, Met Office. Each page lists its own sources at the bottom.