Learning how to grow strawberries in containers is pretty easy to do, and a popular choice for many people who have limited outdoor space. Because the plants have a shallow root system, growing strawberries in containers is much easier than other fruits or vegetables as long as you water them properly. Another bonus is that you plants will not be as prone to the many insects and weeds that can happen in traditional flower beds.

The first thing you will want to do when gardening container strawberries is choose the right containers that will fit your needs. We’ve had plenty of success with strawberry pots and hanging baskets, however just about anything will work. Some people have found that plastic totes or even your everyday run of the mill flower pots work just fine. Since the plants are less likely to get diseases the farther they are planted away from each other, while you can grow many in one pot, we tend to like to plant no more than two or three per pot, and planting them in single pots is perfectly okay as well.

You will want to plan to keep your containers in a place that gets a good amount of sunlight, since strawberries love their sunshine! They do not however like very hot temperatures, so it is best to put them in a place where they will get full morning sun from sunrise to around 11 am and then shade for the hotter parts of the day. Fortunately, since the containers are portable, if you need to move them you will be able to.

Ever-bearing strawberries are the most popular and preferred types to use, since they will give you at least two good crops per year, though some may produce fruit more than this, depending on the species and variety you choose.

It is best to use plants and transfer them into pots, though you of course may choose to germinate your own seeds as well, though this may take longer and will likely depend on when you plant them whether you will get a crop this year or next year. Since the plants are perennials, most will plant them in the fall and then they are ready to go by spring and summer.

The type of dirt you choose is very important as well, since just straight up potting mix is not going to work as well as you would think! These plants like a sandy soil mixture, so it’s best to mix up a blend of potting soil with either sand or a sandy top soil, and if you wish to use fertilizer you will want to place it in the soil at this time as well. Be careful not to over fertilize your plants, as this will inhibit their fruit production, not to mention waste fertilizer! It is generally recommended to fertilize just once when transplanting and if needed again soon after the first crop of berries is produced. While some may suggest every 10 days, this is not usually necessary and there is the risk of doing more harm than good. See our article on best potting mix for strawberries for more details on which dirt blends work well for container gardening.

When you first transplant the plants into containers, you are going to want to make sure you pinch off the flower blossoms and pick any existing berries off. This will help you get a much better yield later and help the plant make the best adjustment to the environment.

Once your plants are in place for the containers, all you will need to do is ensure you water them regularly (soil should always be moist!) and keep out of too hot of temperatures. Before long you’ll have some beautiful and delicious looking berries to enjoy!

When the growing season is over (usually by late fall), you’ll want to make sure you carefully protect your plants over the winter so they’ll grow back next year. Covering them with a thick bed of straw will typically help protect them from the cold winter frost and snow, or you can always bring them indoors for the winter and they may just keep producing all winter long! You might also want to check out how to care for strawberry plants to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to be successful in growing strawberries in containers!