I'm new to gardening and I've just potted some bare root strawberry plants that are showing growth. I'm planning to plant them soon, hopefully in raised beds for better establishment year after year. However, I noticed that the Growveg Garden Planner suggests a spacing of 45-50cm between strawberry plants. I'm using Suttons Original Veggie Beds and it seems like I could only fit three plants in one planter with that spacing. Since I have about 15 plants, I'll need a lot more raised beds. I considered using containers as well, maybe with 25cm terracotta half pots for each plant, but I also found some larger half whisky barrel planters that are cheaper. They're about 63cm in diameter, but that makes me think I could only fit one plant per barrel when considering the spacing. What's the actual spacing I should follow for strawberry plants? Which containers work best, and can they thrive for multiple years in pots?
3 Answers
I think 6 inches (about 15cm) should work just fine for spacing!
The recommended spacing is really just to accommodate the runners and extra plants that will sprout from the main strawberry plant. They tend to spread out over time, so don’t stress too much about the spacing. I started with just six bare-root strawberries three years ago, and now I have tons! They’re tough little things and can bounce back from frost with ease. If they didn’t produce such delicious berries, they’d be like those fast-spreading weeds!
Strawberries aren't too picky about spacing! You can actually plant them as close as 10cm apart, and they'll be fine as long as you keep them well-watered. Just remember, they'll send out runners in the autumn, so even if you don't get a lot of fruit this year, you can always move those runners next season. If you're using raised beds, be sure to provide plenty of water; they don’t root deeply. Also, I wouldn't recommend terracotta unless you're ready to water daily in the summer—it can dry out quick! You might even consider one of those vertical strawberry towers if space is tight, but those can dry out quickly too. Happy gardening!
I bet you say that to all the girls 😄