10 Tips For Growing Strawberries {Like A Boss}

10 Tips for Growing Strawberries {Like A Boss} | Ten at the Table

This is our third year growing strawberries as well as our third year of research. The first year was a complete and utter failure. We weren’t “gardeners” at the time so we didn’t water it, weed it, feed it, or make sure not to step on/drive over it. Yeah, our “garden” was right in front of our “drive-way” (ahem) grass (ahem). Then the second year we decided we wanted a garden so my father, an all or nothin’ type of guy, decided to build this massive structure.

But still didn’t tend much to our strawberries, and got literally 2 berries off of our three plants.  So then on our third year we planted 10 more plants and did a whole lot of research. And I do mean a lot, my friend.

10 Tips for Growing Strawberries {Like A Boss} | Ten at the Table

We tried lots of things that were supposed to make them produce like crazy, but not all of them worked for me. So here is my list of tips that actually work for getting bigger plants that produce more strawberries.

10 Tips for Growing Strawberries:

1. Water, water, water. Then when you think you have watered too much…water some more. The more water you give them the bigger and sweeter the fruit will be.

2. Sprinkle your used coffee grounds at the base of the plants before watering. They love it! They grow so much after that. It’s works great and is better for you than store bought plant food. The coffee grounds also keep away sugar ants and pill bugs.

3. Plant a few plants per person. If your planting  strawberries because you planned on, ya know, eating them, it’s best to plant a bunch. Don’t worry—you shall have no leftovers. If you do though, you can freeze them whole to use for smoothies in the future.

4. Dust the area with a cheap cinnamon to keep ants, cats, pill bugs, and slugs at bay. This came in handy for me because the pill bugs were eating ALL of our strawberries! I buy this one. It lasts a LONG time!

5. Don’t get discouraged by the first year of production. The magic is in the second year, my friend!

6. Don’t worry about cutting back dead leaves in the winter. They act as insulation keeping the plant alive ’til spring.

7. Give them plenty of room to either spread, grow up, or dangle because they will do all three if you let them.

8. Some strawberry plants produce all year long and some only produce during the summer. If you want all those strawberries at one time so they can be eaten, processed, frozen, yadda yadda—get the kind isn’t ever-bearing.

9. Plant them in a sunny area. You will be glad you did. The sun gives the plants the energy to produce the fruit, so without sunlight, you won’t have strawberries.

10. Protect those babies with birds netting. Birds love strawberries as much as we do so make sure you keep them safe or you won’t be harvesting much!

I hope I was able to help some of you guys with these tips! If I missed something that helps your strawberries grow, I would love to hear from you in the comments!

43 Thoughts on “10 Tips For Growing Strawberries {Like A Boss}

  1. I have given up on strawberries since my first two years were a disaster as well…you have given me the desire to try again! Thanks!

  2. These are some awesome tips for growing strawberries. I totally agree with the whole water water water thing—berries need water to grow big and juicy! Pinned! 🙂

  3. Thanks for sharing your tips on how to grow strawberries. I found this on Teach Me Tuesday Link Party. My dad grew some strawberries a few years back but had problems with his plants. I am going to print this out for him so hopefully next year he will have plenty and we can make the strawberry shortcake recipe my grandmother used to make with home grown strawberries.

  4. Thanks for these tips. We get lots of strawberries but they are small. Will work on that!

  5. Great tips and thanks for posting. It inspires us to get give it another try. We did not have good luck with any berries including strawberries but like anything else, it takes some research and resolve!

  6. Thanks so much for linking up to Teach Me Tuesday. You are very much appreciated!! Hope to see you again this week!!

    http://3glol.net/2014/08/18/teach-tuesday-17/

    Have a great day!

  7. Thanks so much for sharing with Wednesday’s Adorned From Above Link Party.
    Debi @ Adorned From Above

  8. What a helpful post! I have been a fan of your blog for quite some time now. Pinning this.
    I didn’t get my plants mulched before winter hit, and we had some long stretches of subzero (minus 20 F. temps) before there was any snow to insulate them. I’m hoping they survived!

  9. This is awesome! My little girl has a tiny little strawberry plant that she started last week for $1 from Target. But I’d love to grow our own…!

  10. Thanks so much for this post! My strawberries were a total flop last year, so reading that year two should be better is encouraging! I found you on Homestead Blog Hop.

    Mandi
    http://www.ourlifeouthere.com

  11. I’m excited to try planting strawberries for the first time this year. Thank you for the tips, since I know nothing! Congrats, you’re featured this week at the Inspire Us Thursday Link Party on Organized 31.

  12. Jane (Limeade Gal) on February 24, 2015 at 11:55 pm said:

    These are wonderful tips, didn’t know about any of them! I guess that explains why my plants last year didn’t produce any fruit! Going to have to try again this year 🙂

  13. Amanda on March 8, 2015 at 8:41 am said:

    What if sprinkling cinnamon and putting bottle caps of beer around the perimeter didn’t work? I still got these tiny orange ants attacking them and of course the notorious chipmunks! 🙁

  14. Christa Sherman on March 22, 2015 at 3:28 pm said:

    Ohhh……..Thank you!!! I’ve tried for a few years and gotten maybe 20 berries total! Didn’t know all of this….especially the watering information. I guess I should research a bit better but hopefully this will get me going!

  15. I am also a strawberry learner, going on my fourth year! I guess now I’m a vet… I would also like to add. As tempting as it may be to let them grow, pull off the flowers the first year.This will let the mother plant get big and strong. Also cut off any sister plants that take off from the mother plant. At the end of the season, you can let one or two sister plants take root. Once they take root, cut the plant.

  16. Pingback: 10 Tips for Growing Strawberries {Like A Boss} | Ten… | bingoa !

  17. We love strawberries. What great tips. I think I’ll leave that task to our local farmers, but wow, you make it look easy!

  18. kris on May 6, 2015 at 9:16 pm said:

    Can I feed it diluted leftover coffee?

    • Great question Kris! You could absolutely use leftover coffee. The effects would just not last as long. The coffee grounds continue to feed the plants as they are watered.

  19. Of all the research I’ve done on strawberries, this is absolutely the best! It’s plain and simple and to the point!! Thank you so much!!

  20. Love all your tips! I used to grow strawberries in California (in containers) and loved it so much! In Texas, they don’t do as well, but I love to cook, bake, and eat them in the summer! I am pinning this tips for future reference!

    Alexis @ http://www.chemistrycachet.com

  21. I love strawberries, and picked up a few plants this year, thanks for the tips!

  22. Claudia Phillips on June 23, 2015 at 10:42 am said:

    I will try these tips. My strawberries are very sour. Maybe coffee and more water will help sweeten them next year.

  23. Becky Ezra on January 18, 2016 at 3:35 pm said:

    As well a companion planting with Borage, sage, parsley are very good for strawberries.
    I will add your recommendations to my garden, thank you.

  24. Pingback: Did someone say, STRAWBERRIES? | P.S. I Love Plants

  25. jack Rooney on March 21, 2016 at 7:38 pm said:

    Paint a few rocks red and place them around the strawberries before they ripen andthe birds will try to eat them and when they can’t they will think the real strawberries are hard as stone

  26. Thank you for the tips! This is my first year and my plants aren’t looking good. The edges of the leaves are turning brown and I was told it was from too much water. Not sure how much to water these little guys.

  27. Bridgette on May 21, 2016 at 11:38 am said:

    More bang for yur buck, ask your local greenhouse for bare root strawberries. Mine has bundles of 25 roots $7.99

  28. Shirley on June 3, 2016 at 6:04 am said:

    I use a tried and true trick passed down from my grandparents, fish buried underneath your strawberry patch. The emulsion fertilizes the plants and surrounding soil naturally. The results are larger strawberries that are vibrant red, sweet, and juicy!

  29. What a great tip about the coffee grounds. I will be trying that one next year! This year mine evidently needed much more water…good to know for next year.

  30. Pingback: Strawberry Tips and Recipes | A Southern Soul

  31. For #8, did you mean to not get the overbearing kind? What kind do you recommend?

  32. Pingback: Strawberry Tips and Recipes | A southern Soul

  33. Inetia on March 4, 2018 at 4:45 pm said:

    Where I live we have slugs. I will be putting straw mulch around mine to keep them off the berries off the ground and hopefully away from the slugs.

  34. Susie on May 6, 2020 at 9:59 pm said:

    I have found getting human hair from a salon or dog hair from groomer works to deter squirrels and rabbits. Epsom salt sprinkled around deters raccoons.

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