The Best Strawberry Plants for Your Garden

Whether you’re just starting off planting a garden or looking to add a new crop to your old backyard plot, consider adding some of these strawberry plants if you don’t have any already.

Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits at farmers’ markets and grocery stores, thanks to their sweet, delicious flavor and high nutritional value. Strawberries are a relatively easy plant to grow, so they’re a great choice for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. They also don’t require a large or raised bed to grow in. In fact, strawberries do quite well in planters and small pots on decks, balconies, and patios, so even if you’re in an apartment or condo with no yard or garden space at all, you can still grow a strawberry plant if you’d like. They don’t require any special equipment to grow, and as long as you place them in a spot that sees a lot of sunlight, strawberries aren’t a hard plant to maintain, either. If properly cared for, one plant may supply you with up to a quart of strawberries per crop. And if you grow your own strawberries, you know they’ll be free of residual pesticides, unlike their store-bought cousins. Strawberries are much easier to grow from plants rather than seeds, so if you want to start growing strawberry plants at home, here are a few we recommend.

What to Consider in Strawberry Plants

Here are a few things to think about before buying a strawberry plant:

• Productivity: Strawberries naturally produce fruit only in the summer, but certain types of strawberry plants will allow you longer access to fresh, homegrown strawberries. There are three strawberry plant types that offer different fruit productivity: June-bearing, everbearing, and day-neutrals. June-bearing strawberries only produce one fruit in the summer over the course of a few weeks, as per the plant’s natural inclination. Everbearing strawberry plants produce two (sometimes three, if you get lucky) crops a year—once in the spring and once in the late summer or autumn. Day-neutral strawberry plants will flower and produce fruit as long as the temperature outside is between 35 and 85 degrees, which means they can grow strawberries well into autumn, depending on your local climate and the mildness of the particular year. Note that June-bearing strawberries produce the largest berries and highest quantities per crop. Day-neutrals produce the smallest strawberries of the three types, though everbearing strawberries still are notably smaller in size than June-bearing ones.
• Hardiness: Strawberry plants are naturally best suited for temperate climates. While this means they’ll thrive the best in temperate regions, don’t feel limited if you live in a non-temperate zone. The USDA generated a “plant hardiness zone map,” which ranks different parts of the United States by “hardiness zones.” This takes into account average annual temperature, latitude, proximity to the coasts and mountains, and other factors into consideration and gives them a zone number between 3 and 10. Zone 3 is further north for the hardiest plants, while Zone 10 is for heat-tolerant plants. Each strawberry plant you look to buy should list the hardiness zone or zones it can survive in, so be sure to look up your home region’s hardiness zone and pick your strawberry plant accordingly.
• Quantity: Buying the right number of strawberry plants might seem like a tricky task. Buy too many, and you run the risk of your fruit going bad or spoiling if you can’t eat all your strawberries in time. Buy too few, and you might end up frustrated or short the amount of fruit you need to make a certain recipe. Since most strawberry plants produce about a quart of strawberries each per crop, you’ll want, at a minimum, about six or seven plants for each person in your family. For a family of five, for instance, you’d want to aim for 24 to 28 strawberry plants, while a couple could get away with 12 or 14. You may want to increase that number to 10 per person if everyone in your home is a big strawberry lover. And that’s only accounting for eating the strawberries fresh. If you want to grow strawberries to freeze or preserve, you’ll want a minimum of 10 plants per person, in the 40 to 50 range for a family of five, and possibly as many as 100. Think about how many people you plan to feed your fresh strawberries to, and plan accordingly. Also bear in mind that not every plant will necessarily take, so you may want to buy a few extra to give yourself some wiggle room.

Best Extra-Large: 9GreenBox Albion Everbearing Strawberry Bare-Root Plants

If you want larger, sweeter strawberries, these everbearing strawberry plants are an optimal choice. Though the actual size and shape will vary, these plants tend to produce larger berries than the average everbearing strawberry plant while still bearing several crops every year. You receive 25 bare-root plants that won’t reproduce into a bigger strawberry patch as they grow, so feel free to plant them in pots or hanging planters if you don’t have access to a garden or plot of land. Wherever you plant these roots, be sure that they’re in well-drained soil so that they don’t become too wet and muddy. Also be careful to dig the planting hole wide and deep enough so that the entire root can fit inside without bending, though not much deeper than the length of the root so that the crown is right at the soil’s surface. Be sure the plants are spaced about 20 inches apart to provide room for sprawling, and leave 4 feet or so between rows if you plant them in the ground. For your strawberry plants’ first growing seasons, be sure to cut the heads off for the sake of the stem and roots, and keep the blooms off until the end of June or beginning of July, and you’ll have fresh strawberries come fall. When the new growing season begins again in the spring, sprinkle some fertilizer around the plants before watering them, though be careful not to over-fertilize. Follow these instructions, and you’ll find yourself enjoying quarts of fresh strawberries throughout the summer and autumn for years to come. These particular plants are suitable for hardy zone 6.

Most Hardy: Strawberry Island Farm Eversweet Everbearing Strawberry Plant

If you live in a non-temperate zone, you may be worried about your ability to grow fresh strawberries. You may wonder if your home climate is too hot for strawberry plants to thrive. If this sounds familiar, these strawberry plants are your best bet. They can grow and thrive in the majority of the USDA’s hardy zones. If you live somewhere in zones 4 through 9, these bare-root strawberry plants should be able to successfully plant and grow in your area, indoors or outdoors. The plants are non-GMO and organically grown. They’re also everbearing, so you’ll be able to get two or three crops of sweet, juicy strawberries from them every year after planting. And unlike some brands, these roots don’t require special soil for planting. You’ll receive a pack of 10 bare-root strawberry plants per purchase.

Best for Sandy Soil: 9GreenBox Ozark Heirloom Strawberry Plants

A set of fast-growing, everbearing strawberry plants that are non-GMO and suitable for USDA hardy zones 4 through 8. As long as you follow and execute the instructions properly, you may start to see plant growth within three days of planting. You’ll receive 20 bare-root plants with your purchase. They can be planted with any type of soil, as long as you mix in the proper proportion of sand. At least 30% of the soil should be made up of sand. You’ll also want to ensure that the soil drains well. You may or may not choose to soak the roots in water for an hour before planting. When it is time to place them in the ground or planter, be sure that the plants are set 6 inches apart from each other and that the crowns and a little root can be seen above the soil. These strawberry plants are everbearing, so you will get more than one crop from them.

Best Organic: Bulbs & Berries Organic Bare Roots Strawberry Plants

Whether you’re a home or commercial gardener, if you want an organic set of bare-root strawberry plants, consider these. They come from a licensed, state-inspected nursery so that you know you’ll be receiving a quality product. Each has the potential to grow up to 8 to 10 inches tall and 18 inches wide. These plants are June-bearing, so you’ll only get one crop from them a year, but they’ll be large, firm, and sweet berries with high-volume production. Be sure to plant each of the 25 roots about 12 inches apart to ensure optimal growth. Also ensure that the crown of the plants and a small amount of root are visible above ground once planted. Each plant will need lots of sunlight to thrive, at least 8 hours a day. While you will be able to get strawberries from these roots the same year you plant them, for best results, pinch off the blossoms in the spring; this will give you bigger berries in higher quantities down the road. They’re suitable for USDA hardy zones 4 to 8.

Best June-Bearing: Hand-Picked Nursery Sparkle June-Bearing Strawberry Plants

If you prefer the larger yields and berries of June-bearing strawberries over any other type, these non-GMO, heirloom strawberry plants are the perfect choice for your garden. You’ll receive 10 strawberry bare-root plants with your purchase that you can plant instantly or soak in water for an hour before planting. You may also cut or trim the roots down to 2.5 inches in length if you find yourself pressed for garden space. Each root that takes can produce up to a pint of strawberries per plant. They will thrive in any potting soil or compost, so feel to use your preferred type or brand. Regardless, these roots grow best when the soil they’re planted in is at least 30% sand. This is especially key if you decide to plant them in towers. When planted properly you should see growth progress quickly, sometimes in as little as three days’ time. Ideal for USDA hardy zones 4 to 9.