
Planting guide
When to plant strawberry
Sweet, easy berries for pots, hanging baskets and beds; fresh fruit by spring or summer. In Melbourne it goes in Jun–Aug.
- Start as
- Potted plant or Bare-root plant or Crown
- Ready in
- 9–13 wks
- Spacing
- 30 cm
- Depth
- 0 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Regular
- Effort
- Easy
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means strawberry can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| London | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Austin | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ |
| Mumbai | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ |
| Paris | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
How to plant strawberry
- Plant crowns with the growing point at soil level.
- Mulch with straw to keep fruit clean.
- Water at the base and feed every 2 weeks.
- Pick fully red and remove runners to boost fruit.
Strawberry varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Tioga Classicheavy-cropper · 9–13 wksFirm, juicy berries; a common Aussie variety
- Red Gauntlet Classicheavy-cropper · 9–13 wksLarge, tasty berries on vigorous plants
- Melba Classicsweet · 9–13 wksAussie-bred cultivar with sweet fruit
- Chandler Classicsweet · heavy-cropper · 9–13 wksLarge, firm berries with superb flavour
- Camarosa Classicheavy-cropper · 9–13 wksProductive California type with big fruit
- Albion Adventurouseverbearing · sweet · 9–13 wksDay-neutral for long cropping
- Baron Solemacher Adventurouseverbearing · pot-friendly · 13–17 wksAlpine strawberry from seed; no runners
- Alexandria Adventurouseverbearing · pot-friendly · 13–17 wksAlpine strawberry with tiny, intensely sweet berries
- White Soul Adventurouscolourful · pot-friendly · 13–17 wksWhite alpine berries with a pineapple-like taste
Where to buy seedlings
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Good companions
Strawberry by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Blueberry · Raspberry · Blackberry & boysenberry · Currant · Gooseberry
Not sure strawberry is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now