Strawberries grow best in well drained soil that has been amended with organic matter. Strawberries should not be planted near eggplants, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, or tomatoes have grown because strawberries are susceptible to verticillium wilt. It is also advisable to move strawberries beds whenever verticillium wilt appears. Strawberries need to be protected from freezing during the winter months. In addition to mulching strawberries, planting strawberries at the top of a gentle slope helps minimize winter kill an frost damage to blossoms.
Strawberries can be planted in rows or hills. When planting bareroot strawberries, cut the roots to six inches long, and fan the roots out in the planting hole. The base of the crown of the plant should be set at soil level (buried crowns will rot,) Plants that are set too high will dry out and die.
Strawberry plants live two or three years. The will bear fruit in their second season. Healthy strawberry beds will yield five to ten quarts of strawberries for 10 feet of planted bed.
Strawberries need 1 to 2 inches water per week while the plants are blossoming and until the end of the harvest.
