5 tips — and 1 secret — for growing strawberries

Here’s a little quiz for Tucson-area gardeners: When is the best time to plant strawberries: September, January or March?

If you guessed now — September — you win.

Last year, upon advice from the folks at The Magic Garden Nursery and Landscape, I planted strawberries in the early fall.

By March, I was harvesting some of the best strawberries I’ve ever had. They were much tastier than you’d find at any supermarket.

The plants — an ever-bearing variety — continued fruiting into May, but by summer every plant had croaked, even though I had moved them into the shade and watered them every day.

Was it a waste of money? Not for me — I adore fresh strawberries and don’t mind planting them as annuals every year.

But Tony Sarah of The Magic Garden Nursery says you can keep strawberry plants alive during the hottest months by watering twice a day — and at the same time of day.

That last bit of advice goes for many plants, he says. You can’t water in the morning on a Monday and in the evening on a Tuesday, for example.

Read on for more tips:

Timing

Plant now through mid-November. That gives the plants a chance to develop their root system over our mild fall and winter.

Choosing the site

Strawberries are usually planted in full sun but that can be a problem here in the summer. They should get morning sun and afternoon shade for best results over the hottest months but will do well in full sun during the winter and spring, says Beth Hargrove of Rillito Nursery and Garden Center.

So plan to give them afternoon shade in the summer or plant in deep pots that you can move into the shade as the season progresses. I have 2 big pots on plant dollies for that reason.

If frost is expected, cover with light bed sheets or frost covers.

Use lots of organic matter when planting. Try a combo of compost and composted manure or worm castings, then add 2-4 inches of the organic matter and mix into the planting bed or potting soil.

The plants need at least 12 inches of well-drained, loamy soil. 

Strawberries prefer slightly acidic soil so add soil sulfur if the soil is alkaline, which is usually the case here.

Berries need adequate phosphorus to fruit properly, so Sarah suggests adding bat guano. I bought Phos Bat by Buried Treasure, whose motto is “Like Pirate Gold for Your Plants.”

Toss in 1-2 tablespoons of Phos Bat or another guano-based fertilizer in each planting hole, Sarah says.

Proper planting

Don’t plant in areas where the following have been growing: eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes or strawberries, because they are susceptible to verticillium wilt disease.

Hargrove recommends giving the plants plenty of room to spread out. Space each plant 12-18 inches apart if planted in the ground.

Planting at the correct depth is critical. Set plants so the roots are buried but the crowns (the area between the leaves and the roots) are at the same depth as they were growing in the pot.

Firm the soil around the plants and water thoroughly.

If you use pots or barrels, be sure to water once or twice a day, depending on the season. Strawberries don’t like it when their roots dry out, Hargrove says.

Selecting plants

Decide if you prefer all the berries to ripen at once (June bearing) or if you prefer ever-bearing to spread out the harvest.

Good cultivars for our area

June bearing:

• Earliglow
• Honeoye
• Lateglow
• Sequoia (what I’m planting now)
• Camarosa
• Chandler
• Tioga
• Sweet Charlie

Everbearing:

• Gem
• Streamliner
• Ozark Beauty

Hargrove also recommends Quinault in addition to those listed.

Magic Garden has several varieties for sale now, or check with Rillito Nursery or your favorite garden store for availability.

Source: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension