Strawberry

Fragaria x ananassa · Rose family (Rosaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	3 to 9
Sun	full sun
Water	moderate
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Hardy: takes frost
Soil pH	6.0–6.5
Spacing	18 to 24 inches

About Strawberry

The garden strawberry is a low perennial that spreads by runners and gives the first fruit of the season. June-bearing types give one big crop in early summer, while day-neutral types give smaller pickings over most of the season.

NC State lists zones 5-9, and with 4-6 inches of straw mulch over winter strawberries are grown throughout Minnesota (University of Minnesota); crowns can die at about 15 F without it.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Set out plants: from 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last frost

Plant dormant bare-root plants in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked; set out potted plants after the risk of frost has passed. Pinch off flowers for the first weeks after planting. June-bearers give their first real crop the year after planting; day-neutrals can fruit later that first summer.

Soil

Well-drained, sandy loam rich in organic matter; plants are shallow-rooted and struggle in heavy clay. Give about 1 inch of water a week.

Test the soil and aim for a pH of about 5.6-6.5; work in 1-2 inches of compost or other organic matter, and use raised beds on heavy clay.

Feeding

First year: 1-2 weeks after planting: balanced fertilizer such as 16-16-16, or nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0. About 0.2 oz of actual nitrogen per 10 feet of row, spread along the row and watered in.
First year: about 1 month after the first feeding: balanced fertilizer such as 16-16-16, or nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0. About 0.2-0.4 oz of actual nitrogen per 10 feet of row, spread along the row and watered in.
First year: about 2 months after planting: balanced fertilizer such as 16-16-16, or nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0. About 0.1-0.2 oz of actual nitrogen per 10 feet of row, spread along the row and watered in.
Each year right after harvest, when renovating June-bearing beds (Colorado adds a second feeding in September): nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0. About 0.4-0.6 oz of actual nitrogen per 10 feet of row for June-bearers; follow a soil test.

Do not feed June-bearers with nitrogen in spring before they fruit: it gives lots of leaves, soft berries and more fruit rot.

Harvest

Pick berries when they are fully red, leaving the cap on, every other day or so. Fruit ripens about 30 days after bloom.

June-bearers give one big crop over about four weeks in early summer; everbearers give an early-summer crop and a second one in early fall, and day-neutrals keep flowering and fruiting from early summer until frost. Pick ripe berries every other day or so, and side-dress everbearing and day-neutral plants with compost in midsummer to keep them going.

Varieties (48)

Variety	Type	Notes
Albion	Day-neutral	Sweet, excellent flavor; UC calls it the industry's flavor standard. Large, long, conical, very firm dark red berries. Resists verticillium wilt and Phytophthora crown rot and is fairly resistant to anthracnose.
Aromas	Day-neutral	Excellent flavor. Large berries and high yields; resists mildew and tolerates spider mites well.
Mara des Bois	Day-neutral	Very aromatic; people tend to love it or dislike it. Small gourmet berries on low-vigor plants; very prone to anthracnose fruit rot.
Monterey	Day-neutral	Sweet, with a sweet aftertaste. Vigorous plants with berries slightly larger and softer than Albion; prone to powdery mildew.
Portola	Day-neutral	Excellent and consistent. Vigorous plants with berries about as big as Albion but lighter and shinier; a bit less tolerant of rain.
San Andreas	Day-neutral	Sources disagree: UC calls it outstanding, while Oregon State found it bland in the Northwest. Large, firm, attractive berries; makes few runners. Good disease resistance in California, but susceptible to anthracnose in Oregon trials.
Seascape	Day-neutral	Sweet, good flavor, but bland if picked before fully ripe. Large, bright red berries, red inside and out. Makes few runners; can split in wet weather and is susceptible to verticillium wilt.
Tribute	Day-neutral	Good to very good flavor, milder than Tristar but still a little tart. Medium, glossy, bright red, firm berries. Resists red stele and verticillium wilt and tolerates leaf diseases.
Tristar	Day-neutral	Excellent, sweet flavor; can be tart. Small to medium, glossy, bright red, firm berries; small in hot weather. Resists red stele and verticillium wilt and tolerates leaf diseases.
Fort Laramie	Everbearing	Colorado State recommends it for Colorado because it is hardier than many everbearers.
Ogallala	Everbearing	Rich flavor. Soft, deep red berries on vigorous, drought-tolerant plants.
Ozark Beauty	Everbearing	An everbearing variety on Colorado State's home garden list.
Quinault	Everbearing	Very flavorful. Large, soft berries; makes many runners. Good disease resistance except for gray mold.
AC Valley Sunset	June-bearing	Good flavor. Large, uniform, bright red berries that are a bit soft; resistant to leaf spot and scorch but can get anthracnose crown rot.
AC Wendy	June-bearing	Good flavor with nice color and firmness. Medium-size berries on vigorous plants with many runners. Some resistance to red stele and leaf diseases, but can get angular leaf spot.
Allstar	June-bearing	Good, sweet flavor for fresh eating. Large, glossy, conical berries that stay light orange-red when ripe. Resists red stele and verticillium wilt and tolerates leaf diseases.
Annapolis	June-bearing	Mild, sweet, good flavor. Medium to large, light red berries on vigorous plants that make lots of runners. Some red stele resistance; can get leaf spot and powdery mildew.
Brunswick	June-bearing	Somewhat tart unless fully ripe. Very high yields of medium to large, blocky, dark red berries that are a bit tender; some red stele resistance.
Cabot	June-bearing	Huge berries and high yields; first berries can be oddly shaped or hollow. Few runners, some red stele resistance, and short-lived beds.
Cavendish	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Large, firm berries that may ripen unevenly in hot weather. Resists red stele and verticillium wilt; makes plenty of runners.
Darselect	June-bearing	Good flavor. Large, uniform, glossy, light red berries with big green caps. Susceptible to leaf diseases and anthracnose fruit rot.
Earliglow	June-bearing	Known for classic, rich strawberry flavor; Penn State rates it the best early variety for flavor. Firm, glossy, medium berries that get smaller as the season goes on. Resists red stele and verticillium wilt; vigorous and makes many runners.
Flavorfest	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Vigorous plants with large, bright red berries; resistant to leaf spot and leaf scorch with some red stele resistance.
Galletta	June-bearing	Good flavor. Large berries with concentrated ripening; resistant to red stele, leaf spot and anthracnose. Makes few runners.
Honeoye	June-bearing	Aromatic, often described as perfumed; flavor can turn tart or flat in hot weather. Large, glossy, bright red, firm berries and heavy yields. Not resistant to red stele or verticillium wilt, and prone to root rot in wet soil.
Hood	June-bearing	Excellent flavor. Medium-large, bright red berries that cap easily. Short-lived plantings and sensitive to viruses.
Jewel	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Large, firm, glossy, wedge-shaped berries and good yields. Tolerates fruit molds and some leaf disease, but has no red stele or verticillium resistance.
Keepsake	June-bearing	Excellent when fully ripe. Vigorous plants with average yields; resistant to leaf spot and scorch but prone to angular leaf spot.
Lateglow	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Very large, very firm berries with high yield potential; winter hardy and resistant to red stele, but prone to powdery mildew.
Marys Peak	June-bearing	Excellent flavor. Medium to large berries for fresh use or processing; durable plants.
Mira	June-bearing	Good quality. Vigorous plants with large, light red berries and high yield potential; some resistance to red stele and leaf diseases.
Puget Crimson	June-bearing	Excellent flavor. Very large berries early in the harvest that shrink as the season goes on; vigorous plants.
Rainier	June-bearing	Excellent flavor. Medium to large berries for fresh eating; durable plants.
Redchief	June-bearing	Sweet, with very high quality. Medium-large berries that freeze well; resistant to several red stele strains and to verticillium wilt, but prone to leaf spot.
Ruby June	June-bearing	Sweet; rated high for flavor in Arkansas. Medium berries for fresh use or processing; durable plants.
Shuksan	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Medium to large berries for fresh use; durable plants.
Sparkle	June-bearing	Excellent, old-fashioned flavor. Medium, dark red, soft berries. Some red stele resistance but prone to leaf diseases and verticillium wilt.
Surecrop	June-bearing	Tart, fair quality. One of the most productive and vigorous varieties, with large, light-colored berries; highly disease resistant, including red stele.
Sweet Sunrise	June-bearing	Excellent flavor. Medium to large berries for fresh use or processing; durable and adaptable in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Tillamook	June-bearing	Good, but bland if picked underripe. Large to very large berries for fresh use or processing; very durable plants.
Totem	June-bearing	Very good flavor. Medium to large berries, mainly for processing; durable plants.
Camarosa	June-bearing (short-day)	Excellent flavor. Large to very large, firm berries with high yields. More disease tolerant than Chandler.
Chandler	June-bearing (short-day)	Sweet and flavorful. Medium to large, firm berries. Susceptible to anthracnose and root rots and to winter injury in the North.
Sweet Charlie	June-bearing (short-day)	Noticeably sweet, with a high sugar-to-acid ratio. Medium berries. Highly resistant to anthracnose fruit rot; bruises easily and does not ship well.
Camino Real	Short-day (June-bearing)	Very good flavor. Large berries, darker than Camarosa, that store well after harvest. Resists verticillium wilt and Phytophthora crown rot; prone to leaf spot and powdery mildew.
Fronteras	Short-day (June-bearing)	Large, vigorous, disease-tolerant plants with very large, very uniform berries.
Sequoia		High quality. Big, vigorous plants with large wedge-shaped berries that get soft when ripe.
Tioga		Medium quality. Very large, vigorous plants with very large, firm, wedge-shaped berries.

Pests to watch for

Tarnished plant bug, Slugs, Spotted wing drosophila, Twospotted spider mite, Aphids, Brown garden snail, European earwig, Pillbugs and sowbugs, White grubs, Boxelder bugs, Mole crickets, Opossum, Chipmunks, Garden symphylan, Cyclamen mite, Strawberry sap beetle, Strawberry clipper (strawberry bud weevil), Rose chafer, Tree squirrels, Foliar nematodes

Diseases and problems

Gray mold (Botrytis fruit rot), Anthracnose fruit rot, Leaf blotch, Phosphorus deficiency, Common leaf spot of strawberry, Iron chlorosis, Herbicide injury, Frost and freeze injury, Verticillium wilt, Tomato and tobacco ringspot

In the kitchen

Eaten fresh, in desserts and jams, or frozen; the flower petals are edible too.

Keeping it: Refrigerate berries right after picking, unwashed and with caps on, and eat them within a few days. Wash and hull just before using.

Pets: Not toxic to dogs, cats or horses (ASPCA)

Sources

Photo: Photo: Ken Hammond, USDA ARS, Public domain (USDA ARS), via Wikimedia Commons. Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.