You’re ready to transplant bare root plants into the ground, and you want to know how far to plant your strawberries apart to get the biggest, juiciest strawberries. The answer will depend on the type of strawberry you are growing.
Strawberry plants can be spaced as close as 8 inches or as far apart as a few feet, depending on the type of strawberry plant, your budget, and the layout of the planting site. Below, I’ll share some tips and tricks for getting the most space out of your strawberry crops and planting them more efficiently for your specific needs.
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Best Spacing For Strawberry Plants
Depending on the type of strawberry, your garden layout, and your budget, strawberry plants can be planted closer to 8 inches apart, and in some cases up to several feet.
As a general rule, day-neutral strawberries are planted 10 inches apart, Hang Seng strawberries are planted 12 inches apart, and June strawberries are planted 18 inches apart.
How Far Apart To Plant Strawberries
Strawberries that are planted closely will compete with each other for nutrients and sunlight. Therefore, in order to grow the largest, juiciest berries, competition with other strawberry plants should be minimized. You won’t get as many berries, but the ones you will get will be great. It’s a bit more work, but it might be worth it for you.
To maximize sunlight and reduce competition, plant each strawberry on a small mound far away from other plants. The hills can be up to 1-2′ in diameter and 6-12″ higher than the surrounding ground. You can also make a long mound instead of separate small hills.
The key to reducing competition is removing weeds and runners. Trimming off the branches of the parent plant will prevent the plant from expending energy while growing new plants. We want to put all our energy into delicious big berries!
Can Strawberries Be Too Closely Spaced?
Yes, strawberries can be planted too close together, especially if you like big, juicy strawberries. A dense bunch of strawberries isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not ideal for harvesting big, tasty berries.
A little competition for sunlight and nutrition is a good thing, but it shouldn’t be an all-out battle. While keeping strawberries close together does help strawberry plants compete with weeds, some air movement between the plants helps keep them healthy. Sultry air can cause disease. Overly dense strawberry fields require thinning.
The closest I’ve had success with planting at 6 inches is a row of alpine strawberries. I planted them close together because I was more concerned with having a dense, beautiful row of ornamental strawberries than harvesting large berries. Alpine strawberries are a lovely ground cover, and since they can only be arranged in very thin rows, 6-inch strawberries are fine too. Usually, 8″ is my minimum spacing.
What Are Strawberry Runners Anyways?
Most strawberries reproduce by sending out “runners.” Runners are young shoots that grow from a “mother” strawberry plant. The runners planted the roots into the soil and produced a seedling about a foot from the parent plant.
Some Hang Seng and Day Neutral Strawberries are unlikely to give away runners. Alpine strawberries fall into this category. These strawberries tend to grow more canopy at the roots. The canopy can be dug up, separated, and planted further apart to multiply more plants.
Tips For Planting Strawberries At Different Spacings
For densely distributed strawberries, it is usually easiest to dig a long trench with a suitable shovel. Then, plant the strawberries next to the trench and measure the spacing. Backfill after strawberries are placed at the correct distance. For far-apart strawberry plants, it’s easier to dig an individual hole for each plant. Make sure that each hole is deep enough so that the roots can be placed vertically.
Do strawberries need to be rowed?
Unless you’re setting up some sort of commercial strawberry business, there’s less need for a formal line. The limiting factor in whether you need to line up is whether you can get to the strawberries to harvest them! Strawberries naturally form a patch that can almost be considered a ground cover. Not the kind of thing that likes to be confined to a row.
Tips For Planting Strawberries In The Garden
Fortunately, strawberries are forgiving. They’re relatively easy to grow, and once they’re happily growing, they’re harder to kill than many other garden plants.
Start with a high-quality factory. It is not good to start with plants that already have viruses or other unhealthy conditions. Get healthy plants from a local reputable garden center or a well-regarded online strawberry supplier. Strawberries like lots of sun and well-drained soil. Try not to choose a spot that is always shady or one that often has puddles after rain. Look for a sunny spot that isn’t prone to moisture and dirt.
Conclusion
Strawberry plants can be spaced as close as 8 inches or as far apart as several feet, depending on the type of strawberry plant, your budget, and the layout of the planting site. Typically, compact alpine strawberries are planted about 10″ apart, often fruiting garden strawberry varieties are planted about 12″ apart, and June fruiting varieties are planted about 18″ apart. To fill the growing space quickly, it is best to use closer spacing to maximize the number of plants. If you’d rather spend less money on your plants and don’t mind waiting a while, you can space your plants a few feet apart.
