How to Grow Strawberries in a Colander

The colander can be used to wash strawberries as well as grow them.

If you do not have a yard, you might think that you cannot grow strawberries, since you have no place to plant them. This is not the case. Use a little creativity and plant your strawberries in a colander. Hang the colander on your porch in a sunny spot to allow the strawberries to grow as large as you would like. Not only will you be rewarded for your efforts with a basket of fresh strawberries, but this will also make for distinctive decor.

Things You'll Need

• Sphagnum moss
• Potting soil
• Strawberry seeds
• Water
• Wire

Instructions

1. Attach wire into the holes in the handles or on the sides of the colander to make it a hanging colander. It will need to hang, as the strawberry plant will grow vertically.

2. Line the colander with a thin layer of sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss is available at most garden stores. This is necessary to plug the holes in the colander so the potting soil will not fall out through them.

3. Fill the colander with potting soil. Your strawberries will still need this to grow properly, even though they will not be in the ground.

4. Plant five or six strawberry plants in the colander.

5. Water the plants every day during the growing season, which is during the summer. If it is hanging in a warm area with a lot of direct sunlight, it may need water more than once per day. Check the soil periodically to see if it feels damp. If it does not, it probably needs to be watered again.

6. Feed the plants a fertilizer that is high in potassium every 10 days to help keep them healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also plant cherry tomatoes, peas or beans in a colander.

References

• aHa! Modern Living: Growing Food When You Don’t Have the Space for a Garden
• Online Discount Mart: Hanging Planters
• BBC Gardening Guides: Grow Your Own Strawberries