8 Fruitful Ways to Grow Strawberries in a Small Garden (With Plant Counts)

You can grow a real strawberry harvest on a balcony, a wall or a few square feet of soil, as long as you pick the right variety, the right container size and a watering plan that works.

Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in a tiny space. They stay low, they trail and they fruit within a year.

The trouble starts with the setup. Pots that are too small dry out in an afternoon, towers water unevenly and the wrong variety gives you a single heap of berries and no runners to replace plants.

Here are eight ways to fit strawberries into a small space, with the plant counts, spacing, soil and care that extension offices recommend.

Quick Answer

Pick the variety first. Cornell Cooperative Extension says June-bearers fruit all at once over about three weeks. Everbearers give a spring crop, a light summer crop and a late summer crop, and day-neutrals fruit continuously until the first frost.

Then match the container to the plant count. Auburn extension agent Bethany O’Rear recommends 4 plants per 5 to 7 gallon container, in full sun for 6 to 8 hours, with potting mix and drainage holes.

Water consistently. Sources range from 1 inch a week (Cornell) to 1 to 2 inches (Auburn), with more in hot weather. Skip overhead watering, since wet leaves invite fungal disease.

But protect the first year. Remove flowers from June-bearers in year one so plants build roots and survive winter.

Then mulch in fall, feed in late summer and net the fruit before it ripens.

Which Setup Fits Your Space?

Pick by space, sun and how much watering you want to do. This table sorts the eight setups below.

Setup	Space needed	Skill	Best variety type	Watering effort
1. Large container	A 5-7 gallon footprint	Beginner	Any	Medium
2. Hanging basket	Hook or rail	Beginner	Day-neutral or everbearing	High
3. Vertical tower	A sunny corner	Intermediate	Day-neutral	High, needs a plan
4. Gutter planter	A fence or wall	Beginner	Day-neutral	High
5. Pallet planter	A sunny wall	Intermediate	Any	Medium to high
6. Railing or window box	Rail or sill	Beginner	Day-neutral	High
7. Small raised bed	4 x 4 feet or so	Beginner	June-bearer	Medium
8. Pocket wall	A sunny wall	Beginner	Day-neutral	High

Before You Plant: Five Basics

These apply to every setup. They take a few minutes and decide how much fruit you get.

Basic 1: Choose the type

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County describes the three types. June-bearers bear fruit all at once over about three weeks. Everbearers give a big spring crop, a light summer crop and another crop in late summer or fall.

Day-neutral plants fruit through the season until frost, as long as temperatures stay between 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Production is lower than June-bearers. Cornell recommends June-bearers for the home garden, but day-neutral plants suit containers where you want fruit all summer.

Basic 2: Give them sun and good soil

Auburn’s Grow More Strawberries guide says to plant in full sun, 6 to 8 hours, in well-drained soil. For containers, use potting mix and make sure the pots have drainage holes. It also suggests self-watering containers as an option.

Cornell says a soil pH of 6.2 is ideal, and to test the soil before planting. Auburn says to apply lime if the pH is below 6.2.

Basic 3: Plant the crown at the right depth

Cornell says to extend the roots vertically into the soil and cover them completely to the crown level. Auburn says the crown, the base of the leafy mass, should be level with the soil surface and not buried.

Both agree on the main point. A buried crown rots, and an exposed crown dries out.

Basic 4: Remove first-year flowers

Cornell says to remove all flowers from June-bearers in the first year to prevent fruiting. Fruit on first-year plants robs the energy needed for growth and winter survival.

Everbearers and day-neutrals can flower in year one, but only after July 1, according to the same guide.

Basic 5: Manage runners

Runners are the long stems that make baby plants.

Cornell says to keep only 5 to 6 runners per plant, spaced about 6 inches apart in a row, and clip the rest. That increases both plant and fruit size in the fruiting year. That rule is for a garden row, so in a container you can clip most runners.

The 8 Best Ways to Grow Strawberries in a Small Space

1. A Large Container

A big pot is the simplest setup. A bigger pot holds more soil, so it dries out slower than a small one.

Auburn recommends 4 plants per 5 to 7 gallon container. Fill with potting mix, not garden soil, and make sure the pot has drainage holes. Set it in full sun for 6 to 8 hours.

Give each crown room and keep it level with the soil. Add a straw or bark mulch to hold moisture. For other container ideas, see the guide to the container gardening calendar for August.

2. A Hanging Basket

Hanging baskets keep berries off the ground and away from slugs. They also dry out fast, because air moves around the whole container.

Pick day-neutral or everbearing types, which fruit over a long season and send out fewer runners. Use a basket with a liner, potting mix and drainage holes. Place it where it gets full sun, and check it daily in summer.

A watering wand makes reaching up easier. If the mix pulls away from the sides, soak the basket in a tub for a short time. Look at other hanging options before you choose a liner.

3. A Vertical Tower With a Watering Tube

A tower stacks several pockets in a small footprint. Its weakness is uneven watering, because water pours through the top tier first and the bottom stays wettest.

Growers describe the problem on forums and fix it with a perforated pipe down the center.

Pour water in the pipe and it reaches every level.

Drill holes at intervals along the pipe and wrap it with fabric to keep soil out. Use the strongest light on the top pockets.

For a larger set of towers and layouts, see the site’s guide to growing a vertical strawberry garden.

4. A Gutter Planter

A gutter fixed to a fence is cheap and fast. It holds very little soil, so it works best for day-neutral plants and frequent watering.

Choose a deep gutter and drill drainage holes every few inches.

Mount it with strong brackets, because wet soil is heavy. Plant strawberries 6 to 8 inches apart, our own guideline, and mulch the surface. See more gutter ideas in DIY vertical gutter garden ideas.

Check the soil twice a day in a heat wave. Shallow gutters dry out faster than any other setup on this list.

5. A Pallet Planter

A pallet turns into a vertical strawberry bed with a bit of work. Staple landscape fabric behind and under it to hold the soil.

Check the pallet stamp before you use it.

An HT stamp means heat treated, and an MB stamp means methyl bromide, which should be avoided around food.

Lean the pallet against a sunny wall, fill each slot with potting mix and plant one crown per slot. Water slowly from the top and check the bottom row.

6. A Railing or Window Box

A box on a balcony rail puts berries at hand height. It suits day-neutral plants and a small harvest.

Use sturdy brackets and drainage holes, and weigh a filled, watered box before you hang it.

Space plants so crowns have room to grow. Cornell’s garden-row spacing is 18 to 24 inches, but boxes use tighter spacing, so plan on fewer plants and more frequent feeding.

Water in the morning and avoid wetting the leaves. Pick ripe fruit every day or two, so birds and rot don’t get it first.

7. A Small Raised Bed

If you have a few square feet of soil, a raised bed gives the best yield. June-bearers shine here, because the plants can fill in over time.

Auburn recommends 12-inch spacing in rows.

Cornell’s garden-row guidance is 18 to 24 inches apart, with runners filling in the first year.

In a small bed, use the closer spacing and clip extra runners. Fill the bed with loose, well-drained soil and add compost. See raised bed method ideas for building tips.

Mulch around the plants with straw to keep berries clean. Cornell says to mulch when night temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2 inches deep.

8. A Pocket Wall

A pocket planter turns a sunny wall into a berry patch. It works for day-neutral plants and a handful of berries each week.

Plant one plant per pocket and feed on a schedule. Mount into studs, since wet soil is heavy. Check the top and bottom rows for different moisture levels, because water runs down.

For hardware, weights and watering, see the site’s guide to vertical pocket planters.

Soil, Water and Feeding in Small Spaces

Containers need steady care. Here’s what the extension guides say.

Auburn recommends 1 to 2 inches of water each week, more on hot summer days, and avoiding wetting the leaves. Cornell says 1 inch a week and avoid watering late in the evening, since wet leaves stay wet.

For feeding, Auburn suggests an all-purpose 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 fertilizer at planting if there’s no soil test, then side-dress 4 to 6 inches from the stem about 4 weeks later if plants look pale. Oregon State’s Jay Pscheidt says to feed established plants in late summer, because spring feeding drives leaf and runner growth without more yield.

Preventing Gray Mold and Other Problems

Gray mold is the main disease of strawberries. It turns berries soft and gray, and it spreads in wet weather.

Pscheidt’s Oregon State guide says to space plants so they dry quickly, avoid overhead watering and use drip irrigation where possible. Pick berries every few days in warm, wet weather. Compost diseased fruit.

He also says to renovate June-bearers two to four weeks after the last harvest, removing old leaves without damaging the crown. Everbearers and day-neutrals don’t need renovation. Remove unproductive plantings at the end of the season, because the fungus overwinters in old leaves and mummified fruit.

Birds, Slugs and Pests

Birds and slugs get berries before you do. Both are easy to stop.

Net plants before the fruit ripens, and hold the net off the plants with hoops or canes so birds can’t peck through it.

Lift pots off the ground and clear hiding spots for slugs, such as boards and thick mulch.

Cornell says to check plants daily for insects feeding on unripe fruit and new growth, and to contact your extension office if a severe infestation appears.

Which Varieties Suit Small Spaces?

Variety choice matters more in small spaces, since you can’t fall back on a big patch. Use what the extension guides say about plant type, then match it to your setup.

Day-neutral and everbearing plants give fruit over a longer window, which suits containers where each plant counts. June-bearers give one big flush and send out more runners, so they fill a raised bed over time. Cornell recommends June-bearers for the home garden because production is higher.

A mixed planting works well. Put June-bearers in the raised bed for a big harvest in early summer, and put day-neutral plants in baskets and pockets for snacking until frost.

Buy transplants rather than starting from seed. Auburn recommends transplants with healthy color and a stocky appearance, and says to avoid plants with flowers or fruit.

When Will You Get Berries?

Timing depends on the type and the year. Plan for this so you don’t expect fruit too soon.

June-bearers fruit in their second year if you remove first-year flowers, as Cornell advises. Everbearers and day-neutrals can flower in year one after July 1. Auburn says harvest comes at 90 to 100 days, when fruit are totally red, and varies by variety.

Pick fruit when it’s fully red, and pick often. Ripe berries left on the plant attract slugs and rot.

A Simple Planting Plan

Plan the order of work so plants settle in before summer.

Early spring: Plant as soon as the ground is workable. Cornell says to plant as soon as the soil can be worked, and to refrigerate plants if the soil is still frozen.

First summer: Remove flowers on June-bearers, clip extra runners and water consistently.

Late summer: Feed established plants and renovate June-bearers after harvest.

Fall: Mulch when nights near 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and see the winter care guide for your zone once it’s published.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most strawberry problems come from a few habits.

Letting June-bearers fruit in year one. Cornell says first-year fruit robs energy needed for winter survival.

Burying the crown. Both Cornell and Auburn say to keep it at soil level.

Overhead watering. Wet leaves invite fungal disease.

Overcrowding. Plants that can’t dry out get gray mold.

Using garden soil in pots. Auburn recommends potting mix.

FAQ

How many strawberry plants fit in a pot?

Auburn recommends 4 plants per 5 to 7 gallon container. Smaller pots hold fewer.

Which strawberry type is best for small spaces?

Day-neutral and everbearing types fruit over a long season and suit containers. Cornell recommends June-bearers for the home garden.

How much sun do strawberries need?

Auburn says full sun, 6 to 8 hours.

How often should I water strawberries?

Cornell says 1 inch a week, and Auburn says 1 to 2 inches, with more in hot weather. Avoid wetting the leaves.

Should I remove flowers in the first year?

For June-bearers, yes. Cornell says to remove all flowers in year one. Everbearers and day-neutrals can flower after July 1.

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