Growing Strawberries In Raised Beds [5 Easy Steps] | Garden Wisper (2024)

Strawberries are among the easiest fruits to grow for home gardeners.

These berries are perennials that return to the garden year after year, they’re perfect for small spaces.

If you want to start your harvest quickly and easily, try growing strawberries in raised beds.

We have written a complete guide to growing strawberries in raised beds, from planting to harvest.

They provide the good drainage strawberry plants need and make it easy to control the quality of the soil in which the berries are growing.

Raised beds also make it easier to care for the plants.

When growing strawberries in raised beds, the first step is to choose the right strawberry variety for your needs.

Then fill in the beds with slightly acidic, well-drained soil.

Lay a layer of black plastic over the beds.

Then plant your strawberries with the crowns fully exposed.

Water your plants regularly afterward to get big yields from your plants.

Raised beds are great for strawberries.

A four-foot by four-foot bed can accommodate up to 16 strawberry plants.

Give your strawberries 12 inches of space to do their best.

Design the bed according to the square foot gardening approach.

Your strawberries will be sweet and juicy, so you can enjoy them fresh, preserved, and in all your favorite berry dishes.

How to Grow Strawberries in a Raised Bed?

Raised beds are perfect for strawberries.

If you take the right approach to growing strawberries, you are sure to reap great berry harvests.

Here are some tips for growing strawberries in a raised bed:

1. Select Your Strawberry Varieties

The good news is that all strawberry varieties are suitable for growing in raised beds.

Choose your strawberry varieties before making your raised beds.

Select your preferred strain within the selected category.

Choose perennial varieties if you want a steady stream of fruit all season long.

Or select strawberries that produce in June if you want big harvests in early summer.

Varieties produce at different times, each variety has a slightly different flavor, and some varieties are better suited to cooler climates than others.

2. Fill the Raised Bed

Fill your garden beds with a soil mix suitable for strawberries.

Fill the bed with a mixture of topsoil and some form of organic matter.

Ideally, the topsoil should come from elsewhere on your property, but if this is not possible, purchase topsoil from a local landscaping supply center.

Your plants want rich, earthy soil with tons of organic matter.

Create this mix by combining garden soil with coarse sand, peat moss, and compost.

Do not use soil from your existing garden beds.

Weed seeds sprout in old soil and can crowd out young strawberry plants.

Check out some additional soil acid requirements for strawberries to encourage even healthier plants.

3. Lay a Layer of Plastic Over the Raised Bed.

Place a layer of black plastic over the soil.

Secure the edges of the plastic to the walls of the garden bed with staples, or simply bury them in the top layer of soil.

The plastic keeps weeds from invading your garden.

Strawberry runners will also not be able to find places to root, so your strawberry bed will not be overcrowded.

Ripe strawberries can also sit in plastic.

This will prevent the fruit from rotting before you can pick it.

4. Plant Your Strawberries

You can plant new plants in your strawberry bed at any time from spring to early summer.

If your new plants are growing in small pots, be sure to gently loosen the roots before planting them in the raised bed, especially if they have been potted. bound

Cut the roots of each strawberry plant until they are 4 inches long.

Next, make an X-shaped cut in black plastic.

Dig a hole 5 cm deep and the same width as the roots. plant in the pit and bury the roots.

The peak of the plant should sit above the soil line.

Otherwise, the crown will decay and kill the plant.

Plant a strawberry plant every 30 cm in the raised bed.

5. Water frequently

Water your strawberries immediately after planting.

When strawberries are grown in raised beds, the soil can dry out faster than when they are grown in the ground.

Monitor soil moisture carefully and water thoroughly when needed.

Then give them 1 inch of water a week after.

Two watering sessions per week usually work best.

But be careful of the weather to avoid watering after heavy rains.

Strawberry plants like to thrive in evenly moist soil.

Too much moisture can cause the roots to rot.

Check your strawberries regularly to measure theirgrowth.

If you want an even bigger harvest, it’s a good idea to take steps to encourage your strawberries to produce more fruit.

How Many Strawberries Can Grow in a Raised Bed?

There is no minimum or maximum bed size. It’s what suits your space and needs.

You can grow up to 16 strawberry plants in a four-foot by four-foot raised bed.

Strawberries do best when they have 30 cm of space to grow.

Simply plan the bed using the square foot gardening approach.

Strawberries do well in raised beds as long as you use the right approach.

Leave 30 cm of free space on all sides for each strawberry plant.

Plant them 12 inches from the walls of raised beds and other plants

In addition to raised beds, strawberries can also be grown in pots.

Strawberries are so versatile that they can be grown in standard pots or this specially designed strawberry pot. If you are growing strawberries in raised beds or flower boxes, monitor soil moisture closely.

In many cases, pots and tubs dry out faster than in traditional gardens.

Resist the temptation to crowd strawberries and always remove runners.Plant stolons in another bed to fill your garden area with berry plants.

Never overcrowd your beds with strawberries.Competition from too many plants can lead to health problems and low fruit yields for all plants in the raised bed.

This also means you cannot allow the runners to take root.

Trim stolons from plants as they appear.

You can plant the strawberry runners elsewhere to create even more beds full of berry plants.

Recommended:

• How Much Water Do Strawberries Need?
• What Animals Eat Strawberries? [5 Common Culprits]

Winter Care When Growing Strawberries in Raised Beds

Strawberries can easily survive the winter if grown in a raised bed.

While strawberries are hardy and fully perennial, some additional winter care is required when growing strawberries in raised beds.

Cover the plants with mulch just after the first frost and before a deep freeze. Hibernation occurs after temperatures fall below freezing overnight.

Strawberries can survive the winter if grown in a raised bed.Give your plants extra protection if you grow them in cold climates.

Cut off withered leaves to prepare. your plants for the winter months.

Stack clean straw on top of your plants to protect them from the cold, then remove it in spring.

Your plants are dormant when the leaves stop producing new growth.Prepare your plants for winter by trimming dead and wilted leaves.

Then pile clean straw on top of your plants.

Remove straw mulch before spring arrives to keep your plants healthy.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Strawberries do very well in raised beds as long as they have adequate space.

Growing strawberries in a raised bed is easy if you follow the tips we have given.

• Position your strawberry plants 30cm away from the walls and other plants for best results.This prevents intertwined roots and plants from competing with each other. A tight space can lead to strawberry plants struggling and having too few berries.
• Choose between June strawberries and evergreen strawberries.
• Create a rich, well-drained soil mix for your strawberries.
• Add a layer of black plastic over the top of the raised bed.
• Plant your strawberries 30cm apart with the crowns exposed.
• Water your plants twice a week with a total of 3cm of water.

follow theses tips and you will grow strawberries on raised beds like a pro!