Strawberry Care
Fragaria × ananassa
A perennial herbaceous plant that spreads along the ground and bears fruit in late spring and early summer. It should be planted without burying the root collar; the plants should be renewed every 3-4 years.
Hardy
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
March
- Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
- Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer when it wakes from dormancy. Because yield and fruit quality depend on nutrient balance, having a soil analysis done is especially useful for this plant.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
- Pests & diseases: During humid and cool periods, monitor the leaves and trunk for signs of mold, spots and rot.
April
- Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- General care: Flowering begins.
- Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
- Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface.
- Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering. After harvest, cut off old leaves and unwanted runner (stolon) shoots; leave only those needed for new seedlings.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- General care: Flowering continues. Spread mulch 5-7 cm thick over the root zone; it conserves soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not pile mulch against the trunk.
- Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
June
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Fertilizing: Apply the second fertilizer dose during the growing season. Do not fertilize after August; late growth will not survive winter.
- Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
July
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: In hot and dry weather, look on the undersides of the leaves for fine webbing and speckled yellowing (spider mites). Washing the leaves during the cool hours reduces their numbers.
August
- Watering: Water deeply 3-4 times a week, early in the morning. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Frequent shallow watering pulls the roots to the surface.
- Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: In hot and dry weather, look on the undersides of the leaves for fine webbing and speckled yellowing (spider mites). Washing the leaves during the cool hours reduces their numbers.
September
- Watering: Water 2-3 times a week. Water so that the soil is wetted 10-15 cm down from the surface. Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during the first year; its root system is still shallow.
- Pruning: Regularly remove spent flowers at the base; this encourages new flowering.
- General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
October
- Watering: If there is no rainfall, water 1-2 times a week. Water newly planted plants more often than established plants during the first year; the root system is still shallow.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
- Pests & diseases: During humid and cool periods, monitor the leaves and trunk for signs of mold, spots and rot.
November
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: During humid and cool periods, monitor the leaves and trunk for signs of mold, spots and rot.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.
Browse all plant guides