How to Start a Strawberry Container Garden

One of the easiest ways to garden is Container Gardening. There is nothing like growing your own strawberries. Store bought strawberries have no taste or sweetness compared to the mouth-watering sweetness your own strawberries will have. Once you taste your very first, home-grown strawberry you will never again be satisfied with store bought.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Strawberry Plants - 5 to 10 plants
• Quality Soil or Soilless Potting Mix
• Oblong Planting Container - 16" to 18" long x 7" to 9" wide x 6" to 10" deep
• Pea Gravel or Small Rocks
• Organic Fertilizer

1. Strawberry Planter Pick out your container. You can choose any container you like. Strawberry plants are much more forgiving than many think. I have listed an oblong that will work outdoors in the summer and indoors in the winter. There are also strawberry pots that are taller with various openings on the sides for cascading. If you are growing indoor strawberries the container should have a reservoir tray.
2. Everbearing Strawberry Pick out your strawberry plants. Any type of strawberry plant will due. One trick is to get established plants. If you know of someone that has had strawberry plants for a few years, ask them for some starts. They will bear fruit for you in the same year. Otherwise you may need to wait a couple of years for your harvest. Everbearing is a great choice for bearing fruit all summer.
3. Organic Soil Put about 1” of your soil in the bottom of the container. Place a layer of the pea gravel or small rocks on the soil. Put just enough to lightly cover the dirt. This will help with drainage. Now put the rest of the soil in the container. Leave from 1” to 2” space to the top open.
4. Flowering Strawberry Plant Scoop five to ten holes in the top at about 3” to 4” deep. If you want ten plants dig two rows of five holes. If you just want five plants dig one row of five holes. Add the fertilizer according to its directions. You can now add some water to the holes. Don’t swamp the container, but add enough water to slightly wet the dirt.
5. Bountiful Strawberry Harvest Plant the strawberries in the container. Leave less than an inch between each plant. It’s ok that the plants are nestled close together. Pack soil around roots with leaves out. Add a little bit more water to each plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Even if intended for an indoor strawberry garden, you can place it outside in the sun during the spring and summer months. The plant will love it.
• Remember to water a couple times on real hot days.
• If kept indoors year round, place in window seal or direct sunlight.
• You can also purchase a grow light. This will tremendously help the blooming process.