A well-kept strawberry bed can produce fruit for several years from a single planting, if it's replaced on a rolling cycle.
Strawberries are a perennial crop, cropping best from their second year onward and best replaced every three to four years as vigour declines. Runners can be pegged down to produce free new plants, or removed to keep the parent plant’s energy focused on fruiting.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | ||||||||||
| Prune | Prune in July | |||||||||||
| Harvest | Harvest in June | Harvest in July | ||||||||||
| Job | Job in May |
Care details
- Plant March – April
Plant new crowns now, or in early autumn.
- Job In May
Tuck straw under trusses to keep fruit clean and slug-free.
- Harvest June – July
Pick every couple of days once fruit reddens fully.
- Prune In July
Cut back tatty foliage and remove runners after fruiting, unless you’re propagating.
Growing tips & common problems
- Replace plants every 3-4 years as vigour and flavour decline with age.
- Raise fruit off the soil with straw, matting, or a strawberry pot to keep it clean and slug-free.
- Remove runners promptly unless propagating, so the parent plant's energy goes into fruit, not new plantlets.
Grows well with
Personalise your own weekend list →Become a better gardener in just 12 emails
Get one email per month with gardening tips on what to plant and do that month.
100% free • No spam • Unsubscribe any time