Strawberries are one of the few fruits that crop properly in a pot. A sunny balcony, a deep enough container and regular watering are enough for a bowl of berries in June, and with the right variety, more until the autumn.
The fruit hangs over the rim instead of lying on wet soil, so it rots less. The catch is that compost in a pot dries out quickly in summer and freezes through in winter.
Below we go through the whole year, from choosing a variety to getting the pots through winter.
To grow strawberries in pots, plant them in spring in a pot at least 15cm deep filled with fresh peat-free compost, one plant per 15cm pot or three to a 30cm pot. Give them at least six hours of sun, keep the compost evenly moist and feed with a high-potash tomato feed every one to two weeks once they flower.
Which strawberries grow best in pots?
Strawberries fall into three groups, and the choice decides when and how long you will be picking.
- Summer-fruiting (June-bearing): one heavy crop over two to three weeks, usually in June. Familiar varieties include Elsanta, Honeoye (early) and Cambridge Favourite.
- Everbearing (perpetual or day-neutral): smaller pickings from June until the first autumn frosts. The best choice if you want a handful of berries every week. Albion, Mara des Bois and Flamenco are reliable in pots.
- Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca): small, intensely aromatic berries from early summer to autumn. Varieties such as Alexandria, Mignonette and the pale Yellow Wonder produce almost no runners and tolerate some shade.
When should you plant strawberries in pots?
The main planting time for a balcony is spring, from March to May. Garden centres sell potted plants, while mail-order nurseries send bare-root runners. Cold-stored runners, often sold as “60-day plants”, can go in from April to June and fruit about two months after planting.
Summer-fruiting varieties can also be planted from late July to September. Rooted runners planted then establish before winter and crop fully the following June. Alpine strawberries are easy from seed, sown indoors in February or March.
What size pot and compost do strawberries need?
Strawberries are shallow-rooted, but a pot that is too small dries out within hours on a hot day. Allow at least 15cm of depth and roughly two to three litres of compost per plant.
- One plant per pot 15cm across, or three plants in a pot 30cm across.
- A 60cm window box takes three plants, a one-metre trough four to five, spaced 20 to 25cm apart.
- Every container needs drainage holes. Standing water rots the roots within days.
- Use fresh peat-free multipurpose compost with a handful of garden compost or well-rotted manure.
How much sun and water do strawberries need?
For sweet fruit strawberries need at least six hours of direct sun a day. A south, south-east or west-facing balcony is ideal. On a north-facing one they will grow leaves but few berries, and only alpine strawberries are worth trying in partial shade.
Keep the compost evenly moist but never waterlogged. Water at the base of the plant in the morning, so the leaves and fruit stay dry. In a heatwave a small pot in full sun may need water every day; check by pushing a finger into the compost, and water once the top two centimetres are dry.
How should you feed strawberries in pots?
Fresh compost feeds a plant for about the first four to six weeks. Once the first flowers open, switch to a liquid high-potash feed, the same tomato feed sold in every garden centre, every seven to fourteen days until the end of the harvest. For everbearing varieties that means right through to September.
Avoid feeds high in nitrogen. They produce a mass of leaves, soft fruit and more grey mould.
Do strawberries on a balcony need pollinating?
Strawberry flowers are largely self-fertile, but bees and hoverflies improve pollination noticeably. A poorly pollinated flower produces a small or misshapen berry, because the flesh only swells around fertilised seeds.
On a high balcony, behind glass or early in the season when there are few insects, help with a soft brush. Around midday, gently brush the yellow centre of every open flower, moving from flower to flower. Flowering thyme or chives nearby attract more insects.
If the centre of a flower turns black after a cold night, frost has killed it and it will not produce a berry. On nights forecast below 0°C in April and May, cover flowering plants with horticultural fleece.
Why keep strawberries off the soil?
Berries that lie on damp soil rot, attract slugs and get splashed with mud. In the garden this is solved with straw; in pots the fruit trusses simply hang over the edge.
The higher the plant, the better. Hanging baskets, tall pots and vertical systems keep the berries in the air, where they dry quickly after rain. That makes grey mould (Botrytis), the most common reason for losing strawberries, much less likely.
Can you grow strawberries in a vertical garden?
Yes, and on a small balcony it is the most practical solution. A vertical garden without drilling uses a telescopic pole that clamps between floor and ceiling, adjustable up to 285cm, so it also suits a rented flat.
It holds nine plants on less than a square metre of floor, for example six strawberries and three herbs. The fruit hangs freely over the edges of the pots. Each pot has a 300ml water reservoir, so watering once or twice a week is usually enough, though in a heatwave it is worth checking the pots more often. The Urban Planty Vertical Garden costs €149 with free shipping. Which herbs suit the remaining pots is covered in our balcony herb garden guide.
When are strawberries ripe and how do you pick them?
A berry is ready about a month after flowering, when it is red all over, including around the stalk. They do not ripen further once picked.
Pick in the morning when the fruit is cool, every two days during the main crop. Pinch through the stalk just above the berry, leaving the green calyx on. Keep them unwashed in the fridge for a day or two at most. Picking straight from the pot is also one of the jobs children enjoy most, as we describe in our guide to gardening with kids.
What should you do with strawberry runners?
From early summer, summer-fruiting varieties in particular send out long runners with small plantlets at the ends. During the crop they take energy from the fruit, so cut them off.
If you want new plants, keep two or three of the strongest. Pin each plantlet into a small pot of compost with a bent piece of wire and keep it moist. After four to six weeks it will have rooted, and you can cut the runner. Strawberry plants are most productive in their first two to three years, after which it is best to replace them with young ones.
How do you overwinter strawberries in pots?
Strawberries are hardy in open ground, but in a pot the roots are exposed to frost from all sides. They also need a period of cold to flower well the next year, so do not bring them into a warm flat.
- In October or November, remove old, brown and spotted leaves.
- Move the pots together against a sheltered house wall, out of the wind.
- Stand them on wood or polystyrene and wrap the pots in fleece, hessian or bubble wrap.
- Water only occasionally, on frost-free days when the compost is dry. Winter wet harms them more than cold.
Strawberries in pots month by month
| Month | What to do |
|---|---|
| February to March | Sow alpine strawberries indoors. Tidy overwintered plants, remove dead leaves. |
| March to May | Plant new plants and bare-root runners. Top up pots with fresh compost. |
| April to May | Flowering: start high-potash feed, fleece on frosty nights, brush-pollinate if needed. |
| June | Main crop of summer-fruiting varieties. Pick every two days. |
| July | Everbearers keep fruiting. Remove or root runners. After the crop, cut old leaves off summer-fruiting plants. |
| August to September | Plant rooted runners for next year. Last pickings from everbearers and alpines. |
| October to November | Stop feeding, tidy leaves, group and wrap pots for winter. |
| December to January | Rest. Water sparingly only when the compost is dry. |
Frequently asked questions
How deep should a pot be for strawberries?
A pot for strawberries should be at least 15cm deep, with about two to three litres of compost per plant. Three plants fit in a pot 30cm across.
Which strawberries are best for a balcony?
For a balcony, everbearing strawberries such as Albion or Mara des Bois are the most practical, as they fruit from June to autumn. Alpine strawberries suit spots with some shade.
How often should you water strawberries in pots?
Water strawberries in pots whenever the top two centimetres of compost are dry. In summer heat that can be every day for small pots in full sun.
What is the best feed for strawberries?
Strawberries do best with a high-potash liquid feed, such as tomato feed, given every one to two weeks from the start of flowering until the end of the harvest.
Can strawberries in pots stay outside over winter?
Strawberries in pots can stay outside over winter if the pots are grouped against a sheltered wall, raised off the ground and wrapped in fleece or bubble wrap.
