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Plants for Human Health Institute 
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Plants for Human Health Institute

Crop Guide – Strawberries

Common Name Strawberry
Scientific Name Fragaria x ananassa

Uses Edible; fresh fruit, smoothies, fruit salads, jams, dessert pastries

Crop Timeline

  • Transplants: Transplants are planted in mid-September through October. Obtain plants from local garden centers or mail order businesses.
    • Transplants can also be produced from runners of mature plants.

Planting tips

  • Fertilizer: Apply a complete fertilizer with a 1:1:1 ratio (such as 20-20-20 or 17-17-17) prior to transplant in August/September and prior to flowering in February/March.
  • Number of plants per square foot: 1
  • Growing structures: None
  • Frost protection: Use a frost blanket when plants are flowering and temperatures are predicted to dip below 35F; if the temperature is predicted to fall below 25F, double the amount of frost protection.

Harvest

  • Harvest when berries are fully ripe, fully red. Strawberries do not continue to ripen after removed from the plant.

Pests 

  • Slugs and Snails
    • Description: small gray-brown, soft-bodied mollusk; slimy trail often noticeable
    • Treatment: Remove by hand, use baits
  • Gray Mold on fruit
    • Description: black, spore-like fuzz on over-ripe fruit
    • Treatment: Remove old or diseased fruit and compost to prevent spread

This crop guide information has been tailored to school garden use, particularly for Plant Hardiness Zone 7. Other resources you find may be different based on efficiencies of larger scale production systems or maximum harvest yield. If you have questions, feel free to contact Doug Vernon or your local Cooperative Extension office.