How to Grow Strawberry Plants in Florida

Strawberry plants may produce all summer long, depending on the variety.

Unlike many fruit plants and trees, strawberry plants are creeping, low-growing specimens that sometimes double as ground cover. They are, however, a summertime plant like other fruits, and require a spring planting with the right set of conditions for summer blooming and fruit harvest. In Florida, which covers USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10b, summertime temperatures of 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with accompanying humidity, make strawberries an easy home crop.

Things You'll Need

• Rake
• Quick-draining soil
• Compost
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Choose the right site for strawberries, which will produce their best harvest in full sun for eight hours a day and complete drainage. Strawberries like humidity, but can't tolerate muddy soil or standing water, so stay away from marshy areas of Florida soil. Don't plant strawberries where you have had peppers, tomatoes or eggplants, as those plants harbor diseases that may harm your strawberry plants.

2. Use a rake to remove any rocks, weeds or litter from the area, as strawberries don't tolerate crowding or competition. Amend the soil to a depth of 8 inches with a mixture of quick-draining soil and organic compost to increase the drainage in the site. If you can't provide a naturally dry spot, build an 8-inch raised bed of compost and quick-draining soil for the strawberries.

3. Plant strawberries on a cool, cloudy day or in early morning in Florida, to protect their roots from the hot sun. Plant the seedlings 12 to 18 inches apart, and only deep enough to cover their root balls. The crowns of the roots should be exposed above the soil, to give the plants access to water and air.

4. Water strawberries with 1 inch of water after planting, and then mulch the new plants with 1 to 2 inches of organic mulch to protect their roots from spring frosts. Maintain this mulch level until temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the strawberries with 1 inch of water every week, but use hand watering only to supplement natural Florida rainfall.

References

• The United States National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: South-East US
• Gardening Guides: How to Grow Strawberries
• University of Illinois Extension: Strawberries and More: Growing Strawberries