The kind of strawberry you buy decides what a pot gives you. One type fruits for most of the season. Another fruits once, early, and then it is done.
For a pot, buy day-neutral or everbearing plants. Give them a container at least 12 inches wide and a spot with 6 hours of direct sun.
Water when the surface dries, pinch off runners, and plan the winter before you plant.
Which type to buy
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says day neutral and everbearing types are the best to use in containers.
June-bearing types can be grown in a pot, but Iowa State does not recommend them.
One reason is timing. June-bearing plants flower and fruit once, early in the season, so a pot gives you one short harvest.
Oregon State University Extension says day-neutral cultivars are best suited for container growing.
Day-neutral plants fruit from mid-spring to autumn frost and send out few runners. Iowa State groups them with everbearing types, so either label on the tag is a sound pick.
If a garden center only has one kind in stock, check the tag for the words “day-neutral” or “everbearing” before you pay.
How many plants fit in a pot
Iowa State says containers at least 12 inches across and 8 inches deep are best. A 12-inch pot holds 3 or 4 plants.
Four plants is the most a 12-inch pot should hold. Fewer is fine.
Pot, jar or hanging basket
Each container type dries differently.
| Container | What it suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Pot or trough | Up to four plants per 12-inch pot | At least 8 inches deep |
| Strawberry jar | Extra planting space in side pockets | Uneven moisture; water top and sides |
| Hanging basket | Showing off flowers and fruit | Dries quickly, can get very hot |
Iowa State calls strawberry jars a nice option and says watering from both the top and the sides helps. The “strawberry planters” sold in many nurseries are generally suitable for only one growing season, because each plant gets little space.
The larger the container, the more likely the plants last more than one season, says Oregon State.
Hanging baskets are difficult to maintain through the season. Remove any runners from a basket. Daughter plants hanging over the edge cannot root, and they would weaken the mother plant.
Sun, water and runners
Plants should receive at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. If you are not sure your balcony gets that, measuring the sun on your balcony takes one clear day.
For water, check regularly and water when the soil surface is dry.
Day neutral and everbearing types typically produce few runners, and extra ones should be removed as they form. Remove them from any potted plant.
Use a water-soluble, all-purpose fertilizer, applied 2 to 3 times through the growing season and used as the label directs.
Keeping plants over winter
It is not recommended to overwinter strawberries grown in containers.
A potted plant is more exposed than one in the ground, and it likely will be seriously damaged or destroyed if left outdoors in winter.
For your other pots, you can check whether potted plants survive winter outside and how to protect them.
You have two choices:
- Place the container in an attached, unheated garage in November.
- Discard the plants, empty the potting soil, store the container indoors, and replant in spring.
In a mild-winter area such as western Oregon, strawberries in containers can be left outside, and brought in if temperatures are forecast below 15°F.
The first weeks after planting
Set the pot where it gets 6 hours of direct sun. Each morning, and again on hot summer afternoons, touch the surface of the mix and water if it is dry. Pinch off every runner as soon as it appears.
