Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Using young plants
• Method 2 of 2: Growing strawberry plants from seed
• Tips
• Necessities

Strawberries have shallow roots, so it is easy to grow them in pots, both indoors and outdoors. You can place your strawberry plants on a balcony, patio, or indoors in front of a sunny window.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Using young plants

1. Purchase strawberry plants from a nearby nursery. Make sure that they do not have brown leaves and that they look healthy and green.
2. Choose a pot with drainage holes in the bottom for your strawberry plants. While you can buy specialty strawberry jars with multiple openings, it is not necessary. Strawberries can grow and produce fruit in any pot with good soil and enough sunlight.
3. Fill your pot 2/3 with potting soil. Your strawberry jar should be at least 45 cm in diameter. Although strawberries have shallow roots, they do make offshoots that need room to expand.
4. Water the soil until water begins to run through the bottom of the pot. Then make 5 or 6 mounds of soil, about an inch high. Spread the mounds at least 6 inches (15 cm) apart so that the shoots have room to roam. The mountains themselves must not be more than 7.5 cm in diameter.
5. Carefully remove your strawberry plants from their growing pots. If necessary, cut the pot open with scissors if the plant is too tight. Carefully shake off the extra soil, loosening the fragile roots with your fingers.
6. Fill a bucket or other container with water. Soak the strawberry roots for an hour so they can absorb enough to keep them hydrated.
7. Remove the plants from the water and place a plant on top of each mountain. Divide the roots so that they extend along the sides of the mounds.
8. Fill the pot with more soil until you reach the level of the crown of the plant. The stems originate from the crown, so do not bury it under the earth.
9. Water the plant thoroughly. Use a sprinkler so you don't rinse the soil. Continue to water slowly until water runs out of the bottom. (Add more soil if necessary - the large amount of water will often collapse air chambers and lower the ground level.)

Method 2 of 2: Growing strawberry plants from seed

1. Buy seeds from the nursery. Once you have filled your container with soil and watered it thoroughly:
   • Use your finger to make 6mm holes in the ground 15cm apart.
   • Put 3 seeds in each hole. The seeds are small; some people use tweezers to put the seeds from the pack into the ground.
   • Cover the seeds. Press the soil down to each hole with seeds. You can just press your finger on the ground. Don't press too hard as this can make the soil too compact and the seeds will have a hard time emerging.
2. Use plastic sheeting to cover the top of the bin. This will keep the soil moist while the seeds germinate.
3. Place the container in a sunny spot. The strawberries benefit from a warm place with plenty of light. In winter, place your box near a radiator or other heat source.
4. Water the seeds. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Check the soil daily to make sure it doesn't dry out.
5. Once the seeds have germinated, remove the plastic cover from the tray. If the seeds hit the plastic, they will need room to keep growing, so don't let the plastic sit. The soil will dry out more quickly when it is not covered, so check for dryness every day.
6. Thin the strawberry plants once the seeds have sprouted. Do this by pinching away the smallest plants. Leave about 6 inches of space between the remaining plants.

Tips

• Birds love strawberries as much as you do. If your fruit is eaten by our feathered friends, hang a net over the plants or place a large piece of chicken wire over the pot, in the shape of a bulb or bell, without restricting the plant.
• Most strawberry plants will stop producing fruit after three to four years.
• Harvest your fruit as soon as it is ripe; strawberries left on the ground too long will rot.
• If you plant your strawberries in a hanging basket or strawberry pot, don't forget to turn the pot often so that the plants at the back also get enough sunlight.
• Make sure the pot is big enough for the plant. If you see roots emerging from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, then it is time to move your plant to a larger pot.
• Adding a few pinches of ground coffee to the soil will boost nitrogen levels; give ground coffee when the leaves of the plant turn pale green.
• Your strawberries don't necessarily have to be completely red to be ripe. The best indicator of ripeness is taste. When they are firm and sweet, they are ready to be picked.
• Most strawberry plants benefit from a time-released fertilizer; you can buy potting soil that already contains the fertilizer, or you can buy the fertilizer separately and add it to the soil.
• Strawberries thrive in soil with a pH between 5.3 and 6.5. Therefore choose a potting soil with those values. It's a good idea to keep your soil rich by adding a handful of compost to the pot once a month.
• It can easily happen that you overwater a strawberry plant in a pot. Don't feel defeated if your plant doesn't survive. Just buy a new one and try again next year!

Necessities

• Plant pot or hanging basket
• Young plants or strawberry seeds
• Potting soil
• Time-released fertilizer
• Plastic tarp (if you start from seed)