Tip of the Week: How to Plant Bare Root Strawberries

Planting bare root strawberry plants is easy and the most economical way to go. If you are planting Day Neutral and Everbearing plants the best way to plant those is with the Hill Method. The plants are put closer together (1 foot apart), since they don’t put out as many runners as the June-bearing strawberries. June-bearers should be planted farther apart (2 feet) in the Matted Row Method. Don’t plant too deep or too shallow. Set the plant in well-drained soil so the roots are just covered. Don’t cover the crown, this will cause the plant to rot. Make sure to plant where they will get at least 8 hours of full sun. If they don’t get enough sun, they will make lots of leaves but not much fruit. Check out our video on Growing Strawberries for more information. If you are not ready to plant your bare root strawberries, you can heel them into some moist soil and store them until the spring.