How to Plant Strawberries: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
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🌱 How to Plant Strawberries: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
By Ryan | RK Growers
Strawberries are one of the most rewarding fruits you can grow, and we get a lot of questions about them:
- When is the best time to plant strawberries?
- What’s the best way to plant them?
- Which variety should I choose?
- What’s the difference between June-bearing and everbearing strawberries?
We’ll cover all of these in a series of strawberry guides, starting with this one 👉 How to plant strawberries step by step.
☀️ Step 1: Choose the Right Location
All strawberries—regardless of variety—need a sunny location with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. The more sun, the better your berries will grow and ripen!
🪴 Step 2: Prepare the Soil
We grow strawberries both in the ground and in raised beds, and in both cases, we use a simple 3-part soil amendment mix:
- Composted manure
- High-quality topsoil
- Peat moss
🧮 How Much Soil Is Needed?
Most soil bags are measured in cubic feet. Use this formula to calculate how much you need:
Length × Width × Depth ÷ 1,728 = Cubic Feet (if measuring in inches)
Example: a typical garden bed is 24" x 48" and 1 inch deep.
24 × 48 × 1 = 1,152 ÷ 1,728 = ~0.67 cubic feet
🧂 How Much Peat Moss?
Use about 1/4 of the total volume in peat moss. For 0.67 cu ft of soil, that’s around 0.17 cu ft — or roughly 1–2 gallons.
If you’re using a raised bed, recalculate the volume using the same formula.
Once you’ve added all your soil components, mix them thoroughly.
🍓 Step 3: Time to Plant!
We personally grow a June-bearing variety called Honeoye, which is known for being easy to grow and very productive.
✅ Planting Tips:
- Keep the crown slightly above the soil line
- Cover the roots well
- Space plants appropriately:
For a 48" x 24" bed: Space plants roughly 10–12 inches apart – June-bearing
Space plants roughly 8 inches apart – Everbearing
- June-bearing: 8–10 plants (they send out many runners)
- Everbearing: Up to 18 plants (they produce fewer runners)
🍓 Want to try your hand at growing your own strawberries?
Check out our Strawberry Grow Kit! It’s beginner-friendly, fun, and makes a perfect gift for any plant lover.
Each kit includes:
- 🌱 Organic Strawberry seed packet for home planting
- 🪣 Half-pint paint can with lid – used for planting and reusable as a storage container
- 🌿 Growing medium for optimal germination and growth
- 📝 Simple instructions printed on the back of the can
- 🎁 Playful, personalized packaging – perfect for gifting
❄️ Step 4: Winter & Ongoing Care
We grow in Zone 6, and we don’t cover our plants with straw or trim them back heavily—but we still get an abundance of berries. That said:
- Trimming and mulching with straw can boost yields
- If you live north of Zone 6, we strongly recommend mulching over winter
- Keep weeds under control — strawberries don’t like competition
💡 Final Thoughts from RK Growers
Strawberries are one of the most beginner-friendly fruits to grow—don’t overcomplicate it. Follow these simple steps and you’ll enjoy sweet, homegrown strawberries for years to come.
Remember: Gardening should be fun, not stressful. No garden is ever perfect. We’re always learning something new, and we love passing that knowledge on to fellow growers.
📩 Contact Us
Got questions? Want to share a tip? Reach out at:
Happy Gardening!
— Ryan
RK Growers