Growing Strawberries in a Container

One of the most satisfying experiences I have enjoyed in my time gardening is when I managed to grow strawberries in my home garden.

I decided to use a container to grow strawberries as I was limited to space. Whilst the volume of strawberries was relatively small, it was enough for us to enjoy the sweet taste of our produce.

I am posting here some photos which show the different stages that the strawberry plant went through, whilst also providing some hints and tips to help you grow strawberries in your home garden.

Strawberries are a favourite for many people. Not only are they tasty and full of flavour, but are associated with some health benefits too, for example, strawberries are a good source of vitamins C and K.

These fruits are normally available throughout the spring and summer and are relatively easy to grow in decent amounts if you have the space available, even in containers.

Ideally, you may wish to start with healthy crowns or starter plants, to give you the best possible start. There are different varieties of strawberries, so as much as possible try to select one which works well in your climate. For this reason, check out your local garden centres. If you obtain strawberry crowns from other successful strawberry patches of a friend or family member, then you will also have a good chance of succeeding in growing your strawberries.

Strawberries are shallow root plants, and therefore, will benefit from more area. Fill your container to about 75% with a potting mix. Make sure that the soil is watered thoroughly. This will increase your chances of success when planting your new roots.

When coming to the actual planting of the strawberry, notice that strawberry crowns tend to grow in one direction. If possible, try and aim the crown of the strawberry outside of the pot. In this way, the leaves and fruit will hang outside of the pots. If you put more than one strawberry plant in the same pot, make sure that there is some distance between the different plants. If you leave around 10 centimetres between each strawberry crown, then you should have an ideal environment for the strawberries to grow strong and healthy.

At this stage, you can add more soil to fill in the space between the strawberry plants within the same pot. Make sure to bring up the height of the soil to just under the strawberry crowns. Make sure not to cover the crown, as that is the place where the plant grows to produce fruit later on. The crowns can be delicate, therefore be very careful when filling in the soil or setting the plants in their place within the pot. Once again, make sure that the strawberry crowns are not buried under the soil during the planting process, as the crowns need to sit above the ground. Having crowns under the soil means that unfortunately, that particular plant may eventually rot.

In the next step of the process, we ideally add some mulch to the surface of the soil. Mulching the pots can be done using a variety of different materials, such as shredded leaves or clippings from your home garden. Extreme soil temperatures are avoided thanks to mulching, along with moisture loss. After this step, feel free to water the plant from above. The first watering instance might require around 1 litre or more of water, depending on the amount of soil in the pot. Keep in mind that if watered properly, the plant might not require another watering for around two weeks.

From this point onwards, strawberry plants do not require much attention. Even strawberries grown in a pot or container can produce good quantities of fruit, for you to enjoy.

Let me know if you managed to plant strawberries too, and feel free to post your photos or comments on my Facebook page. I hope the above was helpful, and I wish you the best of luck with your strawberry growing adventure.

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• Olive Trees – How to Grow Olive Trees

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