Plant Strawberries Now: August Sets Up Next Year's Harvest
Strawberries don't go in the ground in spring – they go in now. Plant in August and next year you'll pick full bowls instead of the odd berry, as long as you get one thing right: the planting depth.
Strawberries are one of the few crops where the planting date matters more than almost anything else. In our raised bed it happens every year in mid-August, and my kids throw themselves into it – even though the reward doesn’t arrive until early next summer. Here’s what actually makes the difference.
Why August beats spring
Strawberries lay down the flower buds for next season back in autumn, triggered by shortening days and cooler nights. A plant set out in August has six to eight weeks before then to root properly and build a decent rosette of leaves. That substance is exactly what determines how many flowers – and therefore berries – you get next year.
Plant in spring instead and the plant misses that head start. It will establish, but it carries noticeably less in its first summer. The planting window for young green plants runs roughly from mid-July to early September – so right now is spot on.
Planting depth is the whole trick
When strawberries disappoint in their first year, this is almost always why: the crown – the pale growing point in the middle where new leaves emerge – has to sit exactly level with the soil surface.
Plant it too deep and the crown rots away in damp autumn soil. Set it too high and the topmost roots dry out, leaving a sulking plant. So position it with the leaf base clear of the soil but every root covered, then firm the soil gently around it. If the roots are very long, trim them boldly to around ten centimetres rather than folding them into the hole.
It’s a knack children pick up surprisingly well, by the way – easy to demonstrate and easy to check together.
Check the site – and the bed’s history
Strawberries want sun and loose, humus-rich soil, which is why they do so well in a raised bed. What they really don’t want is waterlogging.
More important than the position is what grew there before. Wait three to four years before planting strawberries in the same spot again, otherwise soil-borne fungal diseases build up. Also avoid beds that recently held potatoes or tomatoes: both can leave the same wilt fungi behind in the soil. Ideal is a spot where bush beans or spinach spent the summer.
Good neighbours, awkward neighbours
Garlic is the classic partner for strawberries – it goes in during October anyway, which fits neatly into the gaps between the rows. Spinach and lettuce are good company too, making use of the space while the young strawberry plants are still small.
Keep brassicas away: they compete hard for nutrients and water and simply don’t get on with strawberries. Potatoes for the reason above – same diseases, same bed, not a good idea.
Spacing and the first few weeks
Set the plants about 30 centimetres apart in the row, with roughly 50 centimetres between rows. It looks generous now, but it’s necessary: by early next summer the plants will have filled the space completely, and an airy planting dries off faster after rain – which helps keep grey mould off the fruit.
Water in thoroughly after planting and keep the soil evenly moist for the first two or three weeks. If the young plants are already throwing out runners, cut them off: every runner costs energy the mother plant needs right now for rooting in.
What’s left to do before winter
Not much. Keep the bed weed-free so the small plants aren’t shaded out, and water during longer dry spells. No more feeding from now on – fresh nitrogen in late summer pushes soft growth that then heads unprotected into frost.
In late autumn you can tuck a handful of straw or leaves between the plants. It protects the crowns and is already in place come spring, right where the fruit will later rest. After that it’s a waiting game – and in May you’ll see whether August did its job.
In Rootivo you add the new strawberries straight into your bed: the companion-planting lines show you immediately which neighbours fit, and the crop-rotation hint speaks up if something unsuitable grew there recently.
Im Lexikon: Erdbeere