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When to plant strawberries

Rose family, Fragaria × ananassa

Spacing
12″ apart
Per sq ft
1
To harvest
60–90 days
Frost
Hardy

Companion plants for strawberries

What to grow next to strawberries, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 2

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Thyme Practical Low plants that don’t shade strawberries and fit around the crowns.

    Thyme guide

  • Lettuce Practical Low plants that don’t shade strawberries and fit around the crowns.

    Lettuce guide

Keep apart 6

Shared pests, disease or competition.

  • Potato Practical Potatoes and other nightshades build up verticillium wilt in soil, which also kills strawberries.

    Potato guide

  • Tomato Practical Nightshades carry verticillium wilt, a soil disease that also kills strawberries. Don’t plant strawberries where nightshades grew in the last 3–4 years.

    Tomato guide

  • Cherry tomato Practical Nightshades carry verticillium wilt, a soil disease that also kills strawberries. Don’t plant strawberries where nightshades grew in the last 3–4 years.

    Cherry tomato guide

  • Bell pepper Practical Nightshades carry verticillium wilt, a soil disease that also kills strawberries. Don’t plant strawberries where nightshades grew in the last 3–4 years.

    Bell pepper guide

  • Hot pepper Practical Nightshades carry verticillium wilt, a soil disease that also kills strawberries. Don’t plant strawberries where nightshades grew in the last 3–4 years.

    Hot pepper guide

  • Eggplant Practical Nightshades carry verticillium wilt, a soil disease that also kills strawberries. Don’t plant strawberries where nightshades grew in the last 3–4 years.

    Eggplant guide

Tradition only 8

On many charts, with little or no evidence.

  • Bush bean Tradition Said to help Traditional pairing, no research behind it.

    Bush bean guide

  • Pole bean Tradition Said to help Traditional pairing, no research behind it.

    Pole bean guide

  • Garlic Tradition Said to help Said to protect strawberries from pests. No good evidence.

    Garlic guide

  • Chives Tradition Said to help Traditional pairing; no evidence.

    Chives guide

  • Spinach Tradition Said to help A traditional pairing; no evidence.

    Spinach guide

  • Broccoli Tradition Said to harm A traditional “bad pair” with no evidence behind it.

    Broccoli guide

  • Cabbage Tradition Said to harm A traditional “bad pair” with no evidence behind it.

    Cabbage guide

  • Kale Tradition Said to harm A traditional “bad pair” with no evidence behind it.

    Kale guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant strawberries by city

Plant strawberries out 2–4 weeks before your last frost. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Plant out
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 Feb 13–27
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 Jan 28 – Feb 11
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Dec 15–29
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Dec 8–22
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Mar 3–17
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Apr 2–16
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Feb 2–16
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Mar 26 – Apr 9
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Mar 7–21
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Mar 13–27
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Mar 23 – Apr 6
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Mar 4–18
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Feb 24 – Mar 10
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Feb 28 – Mar 14
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Mar 2–16
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Mar 7–21

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: grow strawberries from fall through winter.

Strawberry spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant 1 per square foot. In traditional rows, space plants about 12 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.

Plant crowns level with the soil. June-bearers fruit once; everbearers all summer.

One square foot planted with strawberries, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow strawberries

Strawberries are a perennial fruit that fits easily into a home garden. A well-kept bed produces for three or four years. June-bearing types give one big crop in late spring, while everbearing and day-neutral types fruit in smaller amounts through summer and fall.

Sun and soil

Full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter, pH about 5.5–6.5. Avoid beds where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant grew recently, since they share verticillium wilt. Plants need about 1–2 inches of water a week while fruiting.

Planting

  1. Buy certified disease-free plants from a nursery rather than taking runners from an old bed.
  2. Plant 2–4 weeks before the last spring frost, once soil can be worked and is about 50°F.
  3. Set each crown level with the soil surface: roots covered, crown not buried. Too deep and it rots; too shallow and it dries out.
  4. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart; runners fill in the rows over the season.

Care

  • Pinch off flowers on June-bearers the first year so plants build strong roots and runners. On everbearers and day-neutrals, pinch only the first flush.
  • Water with drip or soaker hoses and spread straw under the plants to keep berries clean and dry.
  • In cold areas, cover plants with 3–6 inches of clean straw in late fall after a few hard frosts, and pull it back in spring when growth starts.
  • Renovate June-bearing beds right after harvest: mow or cut off leaves, thin plants, weed, and fertilize.

Harvest

Pick berries when fully red, every other day during the season, ideally in the cool of the morning. Pinch the stem rather than pulling the berry, and do not wash until just before eating.

Common problems

  • Gray mold (Botrytis): Fuzzy gray rot on ripening berries in wet weather. Use drip irrigation, mulch with straw, pick often, and remove rotting fruit.
  • Slugs: Holes eaten into ripe berries. Hand-pick at night, set traps, and keep mulch from staying soggy.
  • Birds: Cover the bed with bird netting as the first berries begin to color.
  • Weeds: The biggest problem in most beds. Weed often and mulch between rows.

Varieties to try

  • 'Earliglow' — early June-bearer with excellent flavor
  • 'Honeoye' — productive June-bearer for northern gardens
  • 'Jewel' — late-season June-bearer, cold hardy
  • 'Seascape' — day-neutral, fruits through summer

Crop rotation

Strawberries belong to the rose family (Rosaceae). Perennial. Avoid planting strawberries where nightshades grew (verticillium wilt).

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant strawberries?
Plant strawberries out 2–4 weeks before your last frost. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with strawberries?
Good neighbors for strawberries include thyme and lettuce. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
What should not be planted with strawberries?
Keep strawberries apart from potato, tomato, cherry tomato, bell pepper, hot pepper and eggplant. Potatoes and other nightshades build up verticillium wilt in soil, which also kills strawberries.
How far apart should I plant strawberries?
In rows, space strawberries about 12 inches apart with rows 36 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant 1 per square foot.
How long do strawberries take to grow?
About 60–90 days from planting out transplants to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can strawberries handle frost?
Yes. Strawberries handle frost well and are planted before the last frost in spring.

Sources

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Plan your beds

When to plant

What grows together