I received some free strawberries from an order, and was wondering what the best way to keep strawberries off the ground is.
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What is your concern with letting the strawberries stay on the ground? Can you please update the question? – JStorage Jun 25 '16 at 03:56
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space, cost, et al – black thumb Jun 25 '16 at 04:44
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If you don't want to put strawberries directly in the ground, choose window boxes or similar planters. This method can - depending on where you put them - keep them safe from slugs, protect from grey fungus and allow you to harvest without bending down.
There are even special strawberry "towers" available, basically tall pots with staggered holes for the plants all around:
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You can mimic this by making a cylinder out of sturdy chicken wire or rush mats, similar larger constructions and building instructions abound on the net as "potato towers".
If you aim for a more decorative effect, strawberries can serve as underplanting in containers of large decorative plants, but in this case be aware of the types of fertilizers or insecticides you use, they should be safe for edible fruits.
If everything else fails and you have just a few plants and a limited budget, you can tuck them almost everywhere, I've seen clay pots, old boots, cans, hanging baskets... Be creative and use whatever you have.
Place or hang in a sunny spot, feed and water according to their needs and they should be fine.
Stephie
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It depends on which variety you have. Early summer varieties send out lots of runners and should be grown in raised beds to accommodate all the runners.
These include June-bearing strawberries such as 'Earliglow', 'Jewel,' and 'Cabot' are the most common. They produce in early summer and send out runners freely, quickly filling in a bed with their daughter plants. These grow best in raised beds where they have room to roam.
Other varieties can be grown in containers as they don't send out as many runners.
The trouble though with pots is that the berries need lots of sun, and the pots dry out very quickly. I was having to water my potted strawberries twice a day in summer.
Graham Chiu
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