Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Planting strawberries
• Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Plants
• Part 3 of 3: Harvesting
• Tips
• What do you need

Strawberries have short roots and are easy to grow in pots. Plants require wide, shallow pots, fertile soil, and ample sunlight. You should also watch out for signs of pests, fungus and rot. If you want to pick berries, carefully trim the shoots and flowers for a richer, more delicious harvest.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Planting strawberries

1. 1 Purchase a strawberry bush or mustache from your plant nursery. At home, strawberries are rarely grown from seeds. As a rule, a bush or a separate shoot (whisker) of strawberries is planted. Both the bush and the strawberry mustache can be easily potted using the same method.
   • Whiskers usually cost less than bushes, but some mustaches require special care, such as soaking in water or refrigerating. In this case, follow the instructions from your plant nursery.
   • Neutral day strawberries, which produce berries over an extended period, and remontant varieties, which produce two harvests per season, are ideal for growing in pots. Varieties that bear fruit in June can also be grown in pots, but they produce one crop and usually grow better outdoors.
2. 2 Start growing strawberries in late spring or early summer. Purchase a strawberry bush or mustache just before planting. For most varieties, you will have time to harvest before fall.
   • The mustache is usually refrigerated for several days before planting, while the bushes can be planted directly in pots. The time between the acquisition of seedlings and their planting should not exceed several days.
   • Plant strawberries after the last frost. Find out in a gardener's almanac or on the Internet when the last frost ends in your area.
3. 3 Choose a pot that is 40 to 45 centimeters wide and 20 centimeters deep. Make sure that there are holes in the bottom of the pot through which excess water will drain. Terracotta pots, seedling pots, window sill boxes, or hanging baskets will do.
   • If you decide to use a hanging box, be careful not to let the plant dry out. Place the box away from strong winds and check often for dry soil.
4. 4 Pour seedling mixture or compost into the pot. Use ready-made potting soil with a pH range of 5.5–6.5 or plain compost. Fill the pot with soil so that the soil level is about 2–3 centimeters below the edge of the pot.
   • If you are using large, heavy pots, place small stones or pottery on the bottom and cover them with a landscape cloth before placing soil in the pots. This will improve soil drainage. It also makes the pots lighter and easier to carry.
   • Don't use soil from your garden. It may have poor moisture management and an inappropriate pH level.
5. 5 Transplant the strawberries into pots. Make a hole in the soil enough to accommodate the roots of the plant. In this case, you can be guided by the size of the pot in which you delivered the strawberries from the plant nursery. Remove the plant from this pot and place it in the groove. Sprinkle soil over the roots and water the soil around the plant.
   • It is necessary that the green, thickened stem, that is, the top of the strawberry, protrudes slightly above the soil, and the tops of the roots are located underground.
6. 6 The distance between adjacent plants should be 25-30 centimeters. If you have a large box, you can plant several plants in it. There should be sufficient distance between them so that they are not cramped.

Part 2 of 3: Caring for the Plants

1. 1 Strawberries need to be in the sun for 6-10 hours a day. It is best to keep the pots outdoors throughout the spring, summer and fall so that the plants receive more sunlight. If this is not possible, try to place them near a sunlit window.
   • If your area does not have many sunny days or you cannot keep strawberries in the sun, use a plant lamp. Place the strawberries under the lamp for 6-10 hours a day.
   • Remember to unwrap the pot once a week so that the plants get even sunlight.
2. 2 Water the strawberries as soon as the soil dries. Once a day, check if the soil is dry: to do this, stick the first phalanx of your finger into the ground. If the soil is dry to the touch and does not form lumps, water the plants. When doing this, make sure that water falls on the ground near the roots. Water should not come into contact with the leaves, as this can lead to the growth of fungus.
   • It is better to water more often than a lot at a time. If there is still standing water in the pot after watering, reduce the amount of water.
3. 3 Protect plants from windy weather. The wind can dry out the soil and damage the strawberries. If your area is often windy, place the pots against a fence, wall, or other shelter. You can also stick pegs around the pot to hold it in place.
4. 4 In spring and summer, fertilize with liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks. Potted strawberries often require fertilization as they cannot get all the nutrients from the soil. Use 10:10:10 fertilizer or a special mixture such as liquid tomato fertilizer. Observe the instructions for use on the packaging.
5. 5 Use pesticidesto kill pests. If you find holes in the leaves, whitened leaves, or bitten berries, the strawberries are likely to have pests. For caterpillars, thrips and beetles, green soap or neem products work well. Read the enclosed instructions before use.
   • Most pesticides are sprayed directly onto the leaves in the morning or evening.
   • If the berries are eaten by birds, protect the strawberries with a net or wire rack.
6. 6 Fight the fungus with a fungicide. Fungus easily grows on strawberries. It is possible that you find a small rash or white spots on the leaves - in this case, get the fungicide at a garden supply store. Make sure this product is safe for strawberries and follow directions for use.
   • Keep your strawberry pots away from tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, as these plants often develop fungus that can spread to strawberries.
   • To prevent fungus from growing on the strawberries, water the bases of the plants, not the leaves.
   • Remove any leaves with the fungus to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the plant.
7. 7 Bring your strawberry pots indoors for the winter. If you've kept your strawberries outside, be sure to move them indoors before the first frost hits. Check out the weather forecasts and find out when the first frost is expected in your area.
   • Place your strawberry pots by a window on a sunny side, or use a plant lamp in winter. In this case, the strawberries will receive enough light during the winter.
   • Keep your pots in an unheated garage, basement, or other area. You just need to water the strawberries every 1-2 weeks.

Part 3 of 3: Harvesting

1. 1 Remove flowers that appear in the first year. Pluck or cut flowers to interrupt the first flowering and thereby increase the second crop. If you are growing a neutral day strawberry or a remontant, remove the flowers by the end of June to harvest in the fall.If you have a variety that bears fruit in June, remove flowers throughout the first year.
2. 2 Add new soil or compost to the pot in the spring. Since potted soil does not receive nutrients from the soil, it should be renewed every year. It is good to do this in March or April.
   • If you are using small pots, such as window sill boxes or hanging baskets, change the soil completely. Pull the strawberries out of the pot gently to avoid damaging the roots. Discard the leftover soil and refill the pot with new soil.
   • If you are using large pots or boxes, simply add a layer of fresh compost on top of the old soil. In this case, there is no need to change the entire soil.
3. 3 Get rid of the mustache if you don't want to start new strawberry bushes. The strawberry will release a long mustache without leaves. These whiskers will take root and develop new shoots that will absorb the plant's energy and reduce future crops. Cut off the mustache with a pair of garden shears.
   • Keep the mustache if you want to grow new strawberry bushes. Stick a peg into the ground and attach the young shoot to it with a pin or piece of wire. Once the shoot has sprouted leaves, cut it from the mother plant and transplant it into a separate pot.
4. 4 Pick berries when they turn red. Strawberries should be picked as soon as they ripen to prevent the berries from rotting on the bushes. To pick a berry, simply twist the stem. Wash strawberries before eating.

Tips

• Most strawberry varieties stop bearing fruit after 3-4 years.
• Be careful not to water the strawberries too much.

What do you need

• Original bush or mustache
• Plant pot or hanging basket
• Potting soil or compost
• Fertilizer
• Trowel
• Gardening scissors
• Watering can or garden hose
• Pesticide soap or neem cleaner
• Fungicide
• Plant lamp (optional)