Refrain for Fab Fruits: Strawberry Yields Forever

Grow Delicious Strawberries in Your Garden

Gardeners who grow strawberries will tell you there’s nothing more delicious than a berry pulled out of the garden and popped right into your mouth. Bursting with flavor, vine-ripened strawberries are soft, juicy and unforgettable.

Why Strawberries Are a Garden Favorite

A low-growing perennial with pretty green foliage and small white flowers, the strawberry is the quickest cropping of all garden fruits. Now is the perfect time to plant strawberries, which are available at many nurseries.

Types of Strawberries

  • Traditional Strawberries: These are the classic berries used in dishes like strawberry shortcake.
  • Alpine Strawberries: Smaller berries descended from wild Italian varieties, Alpines have a strong, raspberry-like flavor and are considered a gourmet delicacy in Europe.

In our mild climate, Alpine strawberries and many traditional types—such as Seascape, Quinault, and the pink-flowered Pink Panda—bear fruit year-round, with the heaviest harvest in spring.

Strawberry Planting Guidelines

  • Choose the Right Spot: Select a sunny location that stays cool in summer. Use shade cloth or plant tall annuals (sunflowers, corn, beans) to protect plants during hot days.
  • Prepare the Soil: Strawberries thrive in light, well-draining soil. Amend generously with compost or planter mix.
  • Try Containers: Containers provide excellent drainage and control over soil conditions, reducing weeds and pests. Use pots with drainage holes and pre-moistened potting mix. Allow 2–4 inches of space between plants.
  • Plant with Care: Position the crown (the thick center of the plant) properly—¼ to ½ inch below and above ground level. Match the container depth if replanting. Firm soil around roots after planting.
  • Use Bare-Root Plants: These affordable, dormant plants are soil-free and easy to plant. Great for planting large quantities economically.
  • Fertilize Wisely:
    • Before planting: Use organic nitrogen-rich fertilizers such as blood meal, bat guano, or high-nitrogen bone meal.
    • At flowering: Apply bone meal for phosphorus and potassium. Limit nitrogen to avoid excess leafy growth with no fruit.
    • Schedule: Fertilize in-ground plants monthly; container plants every two weeks.

Where to Find Strawberry Plants

A variety of nurseries carry strawberry plants:

  • Laguna Nursery – Laguna
  • Laguna Hills Nursery – Lake Forest
  • Armstrong Garden Center – Santa Ana
  • M&M Nursery – Orange (has bare-root)
  • Kitano’s Garden Center – La Palma (has bare-root)

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.