You will hear some gardeners advocate for a single plant to the square foot while commercial operations push towards four. Either way has its merits; what matters is the variety, how old the bed is and your approach to runners.
In the case of a new bed, it is best to begin with one plant per square foot so that each one has adequate room for its roots, as well as light and air. The June-bearing types will put out runners of their own to make new plants and take up any open space. An established bed is quite capable of holding four or so per square foot, though an annual thinning of the plants is usually called for.
Quick Answer: How Many Strawberry Plants Fit in One Square Foot?
For a new garden bed, the rule of thumb is to put in one strawberry plant for every square foot. With June bearers this is the way to go; they have a habit of spreading fast and their runners will have the bed to themselves within a year or two. Many strawberry suppliers can give you guidance on specific varieties.
Day-neutral and everbearing kinds are another matter. Since they do not put out as many runners, two plants to the square foot is acceptable.
Some will put four in a square foot, but that is only advisable if you are prepared to be on top of things with water and fertilizer, and to remove every runner. It is a more demanding method and one that can make the plants susceptible to disease when they are so close together.
Use these numbers as a simple guide:
- One plant per square foot for new June-bearing plants.
- Two plants per square foot for day-neutral or everbearing plants.
- Four plants per square foot for intensive growing.
- Up to four established plants per square foot in a matted row.
The key is to watch the plants. Thin them when the bed becomes crowded.
Why Strawberry Spacing Matters
Being of a modest size with shallow roots, the strawberry is well suited to square foot gardening.
Then again, one must not forget that each plant has its requirements. There is a need for sun and water as well as nutrients and room for the roots. The leaves require some air movement too; it is what dries them off after a rain.
Put the plants in too close and they will be vying for light and moisture. Wet leaves are an invitation to fungal disease, and in a crowded bed it is no easy task to spot a pest or get at a weed.
But give them too much room and you have another issue: the exposed soil will shed water quickly and make way for weeds.
The trick is to strike a balance with your spacing. You want to put the bed to use without smothering the plants.
Spacing June-Bearing Strawberries
With June-bearing strawberries one can expect a single, sizeable harvest. The fruit will typically come of age over the course of several weeks in late spring or the early part of summer.
These varieties are prone to putting out runners that put some distance between themselves and the mother plant. When a runner makes contact with the ground it will root and take on a life of its own as a new plant.
The best way to proceed is to put down one plant per square foot, centring it in the space. Letting the runners do their work will in time fill in the gaps. That said, do not be tempted to let every runner stand; the bed will get too crowded. A good rule of thumb is four plants to the square foot. Any extras should be cut or pulled before they put down roots, or perhaps you can relocate them to another area or pass them on to fellow gardeners.
While the first year may see some fruit from the original stock, it is common practice to strip the initial flowers. This is done to put the plant’s energy into developing a solid root system and new growth. Then in the second year the return is far better, with berries coming from the mother and all her rooted offspring.
Spacing Day-Neutral and Everbearing Strawberries
With day-neutral strawberries, the fruit comes in waves; some will be bearing from spring right through to fall. An everbearing type will put on two or three principal crops over the season, one in the spring and another come autumn.
Because they tend to throw up fewer runners than the June-bearing sort, these can be set closer together. In a raised bed, for instance, allow each its own space but put in two to the square foot. If the soil is rich, one might even get away with four per square foot, though that is an intensive way to go. Keep an eye on the foliage as it develops and trim back the runners to avoid any crowding.
Do not neglect their requirements for regular feeding and a consistent supply of water. To make good on the nutrients spent in all that fruiting, an organic fertilizer is in order, provided you heed the instructions on the label. Put on too much nitrogen and you will have plenty of leaves to show for it, but not so many flowers or berries.
Can You Really Grow 4 Per Square Foot?
It is true that one can put four to the square foot. But that does not make it wise to start off with four bare root plants in every square.
A figure of four per square foot is a more sensible goal for a bed that is already established. Better to plant just one and let some of the runners do the work of making new plants. In the end, this is the cheaper way to go and gives the mother plant time to put down roots before the space is taken up.
One could certainly get quick coverage by putting in four bought plants to a square, but there are drawbacks. The plants might be at each other’s throats before their roots are properly set. And if you leave all the runners be, you will find the bed gets packed in.
When the leaves are thick and overlapping, thin it out. Put in the weak ones first and leave the healthy crowns with good green growth. A strawberry bed may appear to be doing well when it is crowded, but in reality the yield will be less and the fruit smaller.
How Many Plants Fit in a 4-by-4 Raised Bed?
With a 4-by-4 raised bed you have 16 square feet of space. Put in one plant to the square and you will have 16 original plants, which is an apt figure for June-bearing strawberries. Day-neutral types might do better with two per square foot, for a total of 32. One could put 64 in there at four to the square, but that is very dense and not really necessary.
The average home gardener would find 16 to 32 starter plants much easier to handle. The plants have time to put out runners and fill in the bed as the season progresses.
In a good year, thirty sound strawberry plants will give you somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 to 900 berries, or 20 to 30 apiece. Then again, yield is not so predictable; it depends on the variety, how old the plants are, the weather, care given and any pests. There is no point in thinking more plants equates to more fruit. A well tended plant with room to grow will put a crowded bed to shame.
How to Plant Bare Root Plants
It is nothing to be concerned with if bare root plants appear small and dry; they are simply in a state of dormancy.
Before you put them in the ground, give the roots a short soak. Make sure the soil is loose and has good drainage. When you have dug a hole of sufficient width to accommodate the root system, position the plant so that the crown – where the leaves join the root – is level with the surface. You want to avoid burying the crown as it can rot, or leaving any root exposed to dry out.
Once the plant is in place, water it thoroughly and then tamp down the soil with care. It is best to go back over the bed once the soil has had time to settle.
As for timing, early spring is the way to go in cold climes. In milder parts of the country one can plant in the fall. Young seedlings will require consistent moisture but do not let the ground get soggy. Strawberries in particular have no tolerance for standing water.
Managing Runners in a Square Foot Garden
There is no denying the utility of runners; they are a way to get more plants at no cost. But they have a tendency to run amok and overtake the bed if left to their own devices.
It is up to you to determine how many new ones you wish to have. Pick out some runners and steer them into an open square. Make sure the young crown is in contact with damp earth, then put a bit of wire or a stone on it to keep things secure. Let the root system put itself down before doing anything else; do not be in a hurry to sever the runner.
You will know when the time is right to make the cut. A rooted plant will stand up to a light tug, and the stem back to the mother plant will likely show some browning. At that point, go ahead and separate them.
Any runners you do not want should be disposed of without delay so the plant can put its energy into fruiting. For a bigger harvest in year one, most of them should go. On the other hand, if you are content with a lighter first crop in exchange for a more expansive bed, leave a few in place
Using the Matted Row Method
You will often see matted rows in June-bearing strawberries. The way it works is that the original plants put out runners to occupy the area around them; these new growths take root and form a broad fruiting row.
One can adapt a smaller scale of this for a square foot bed. Start with a single plant in each square and let the runners do their work in the open spaces, then thin things down to roughly four plants to the square foot. It is best not to let the bed turn into one solid mass. A tangle of leaves will stifle airflow and give cover to pests as well as any rotting berries.
When the harvest is over, it is time to renovate the June-bearing beds. Clear away the old foliage and any weak crowns, and put in some effort to narrow the rows where they have become too close. All of this is in preparation for the coming year.
Companion Planting With Strawberries
There is much to be said for companion planting in the garden, whether one is putting in flowers, herbs or a few vegetables. A low herb will do well by a strawberry patch, and some put in borage, marigolds, thyme or onions for the same reason. The flowers are there to draw in pollinators.
But it is worth remembering that any companion takes up room. An overbearing herb might cast a shadow on the strawberries, or its roots could become too competitive. Tall vegetables have a way of blocking the sun. If larger herbs are to be had, there is no need to give them several squares in the bed; a pot set close by will suffice.
One should leave the strawberry section open for the work of thinning, pest checks and picking. In the end, no amount of companion planting can make up for poor husbandry. It is the steady water, full sun, clean mulch and quality soil that make the difference.
Soil, Fertilizer, and Water
For the best results, plant strawberries in well-drained, fertile ground. Work some compost into the bed ahead of time and put down an organic fertilizer if the soil is in need of nutrients, but do not be heavy handed with it; an excess of nitrogen will yield soft foliage at the expense of the berries.
When watering, do so at the base of the plant to keep the leaves dry and prevent disease. The morning is ideal for this. A layer of mulch should be put around the crowns to hold in moisture and check the weeds from growing, as well as to see that the fruit does not come into contact with the earth. Clean straw is the old fashioned way to go, provided it has been checked for any herbicide or stray seeds.
Winter and Frost Protection
In a number of climates, strawberry crowns will see the winter through, but their roots require some shielding from hard freezes.
Let the plants go dormant and put down a layer of clean straw after a few light frosts have come and gone. There is no need to do this too soon; an early application of mulch can keep things too warm for the plants to properly harden off for the season.
When spring comes around and any threat of severe cold is behind you, take up most of that mulch. Leave a little straw under the leaves, however, as it will safeguard the fruit in its early stages.
If the winters are particularly unrelenting, give your strawberries extra cover, especially those in containers or raised beds which are more prone to freezing than ground level plantings. And when the flowers make an appearance, be on the lookout for the weather. A late frost has a way of ruining the blossoms and cutting into the harvest.
Common Spacing Mistakes
Gardeners are prone to a number of errors. The most frequent is overplanting the starters; one looks at the expanse of empty soil and thinks there is plenty of room, only to have the runners occupy every square in a matter of months.
Then there is the tendency to hold on to each new plant under the impression that it will yield more sweet strawberries. It does not. In fact, with poor airflow you invite mold, and roots in close quarters will be vying for water. Any fruit left hidden is likely to rot before you spot it.
At the other end of the spectrum is the gardener who nips all the runners in the bud when he or she should be looking to put down new plants and expand the bed. A few good runners ought to be left in place.
Do not overlook the variety either. Day-neutral types do not put out runners in the same way as June bearers. Take the time to read the label on the plant to determine the
