One of the most popular fruits in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and a lot of other places around the world is the strawberry. But most people have trouble growing them in beds.
It’s hard to get the soil right for a strawberry bed. Some light rain or one heavy downpour can drown your strawberries, and weather that is humid and doesn’t blow can make mold grow.
If you grow your strawberries in the ground, bugs and other animals that are hungry will find them easily. Also, you will have to bend over a lot to tend to them, even if you do it in raised beds.
Growing strawberries in hanging baskets have many advantages. You can hang your baskets at the height you find optimally comfortable. You can move your strawberry baskets indoors to protect them from stormy weather and frosts. You won’t have to worry about your strawberries standing in water, and many of the bugs that can spread disease or hurt leaves won’t be able to get to them. Bees that help strawberries grow will still be able to fly right past your plants and land on your strawberries.
Many people love strawberries but don’t have land to till. For them, growing strawberries in hanging baskets is a good way to use up space on patios, porches, and small yards. Jump to:
Strawberry plants make a fabulous addition to any edible garden. But if you’re short on space, consider growing strawberries in hanging baskets! Growing strawberries in hanging baskets allows you to produce a crop of juicy, sweet berries while taking advantage of vertical space.
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about selecting strawberry varieties, caring for hanging strawberry plants, and harvesting buckets of berries from your hanging strawberry garden.
Benefits of Hanging Strawberry Plants
There are many advantages to growing strawberries in hanging baskets
- Great for small gardens or balconies with limited space
- Keeps berries up and away from slugs and snails on the ground
- Allows you to easily move plants for protection from weather
- Provides good air circulation to prevent disease
- Fun and decorative way to grow berries!
Choosing Strawberry Varieties for Hanging Baskets
Not all strawberry varieties are well-suited for hanging culture. The best choices are day-neutral and alpine strawberries.
Day-neutral strawberries produce berries throughout the growing season, not just in early summer like June-bearing types. Good day-neutral varieties for hanging baskets include Tristar, Tribute, Mara des Bois, Evie, and Albion.
Alpine strawberries are compact, prolific plants that yield small, flavorful, conical berries. Top alpine varieties are Mignonette, Rugen Improved, and Yellow Wonder.
Other good strawberry varieties for hanging baskets are Quinault, Ogallala, and Seascape.
Preparing and Planting Hanging Strawberry Baskets
Follow these tips for planting and caring for hanging strawberry baskets:
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Choose a wire basket about 12-15 inches wide and 10-12 inches deep. Line with sphagnum moss or coco coir to help retain moisture.
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Fill basket with quality potting mix amended with slow-release fertilizer.
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Space 3-5 strawberry plants evenly around the basket perimeter. Plant crowns just above soil level.
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Hang in full sun, ideally near flowers to attract pollinators for fruit set.
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Water daily, taking care not to get fruit and leaves too wet. Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
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Remove runners regularly so plants focus energy on fruit production rather than new plantlets.
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Provide winter protection in cold climates by moving basket to an unheated garage or porch.
Caring for Hanging Strawberry Plants
Proper care is key to getting a good harvest from hanging strawberry plants:
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Water 1-2 times per day, especially when fruits are swelling. Let soil partially dry between waterings.
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Apply a high potassium liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during flowering and fruiting.
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Prune off any runners that form so plants devote energy to fruiting not spreading.
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Pick berries when fully red but still firm. Leave green caps on.
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Inspect regularly for pests like spider mites, aphids, or tarnished plant bugs.
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Move basket to a sheltered spot if temperatures exceed 90°F or drop below 40°F.
With proper care, hanging strawberry plants will reward you with sweet, juicy berries throughout the growing season!
Tips for Maximizing Harvests from Hanging Strawberries
Follow these tips to get the biggest strawberry harvest from your hanging baskets:
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Select day-neutral or everbearing strawberry varieties that fruit repeatedly.
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Site in full sun – strawberries need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
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Add sphagnum moss or coco coir as a liner to help retain moisture in the basket.
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Use a slow-release fertilizer when planting and feed with liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.
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Space plants 4-6 inches apart in an at least 12 inch diameter basket.
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Remove runners regularly so plants direct energy to fruit production.
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Protect from extreme heat and cold by moving hangers to a sheltered spot if needed.
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Pick berries every 2-3 days as soon as they are fully red.
Enjoying the Harvest from Hanging Strawberry Plants
Once your hanging strawberry plants start fruiting, enjoy the bountiful berry harvest!
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Pick ripe berries every 2-3 days. Store briefly in the fridge if not eating right away.
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Strawberry baskets make easy picking – just lift the basket off its hanger to harvest.
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Most day-neutral varieties will continue fruiting all summer long with proper care.
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Use fresh-picked berries for snacks, smoothies, salads, pancakes, desserts, and more!
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Preserve excess fruit by freezing whole berries or making jams/preserves.
With the right care and varieties, growing strawberries in hanging baskets allows you to enjoy homegrown berries even with limited garden space. The vertical planting, air circulation, and easy harvesting makes strawberry hangers a fun, productive way to grow this garden favorite.
Four Easy Steps for Getting Strawberries Started in Hanging Baskets
If you grow strawberry plants in hanging baskets, it’s not hard to get a good crop. But you must follow these four steps.
- First, make sure that your hanging basket has drainage holes. Strawberries can’t grow roots in waterlogged soil. They can only be grown in pots with holes in the bottom for drainage. If you are worried that the water from your hanging baskets will stain your deck or porch, you can put a pretty drip plate under the basket or attach it to it.
- The second thing you should do is give your strawberries a good place to grow. Dirt from your backyard is never a good idea. Instead, use a mix of peat (which is acidic and slowly releases water), coconut fiber (which lets just enough air flow through the basket), and compost. Use about one-third of each.
- Next, make sure you plant your strawberries in a pot that is the right size. Strawberry plants only put down roots that are about 8 inches (20 cm) deep. 6 inches (15 cm) is enough for them. In order to hang, your basket must be at least 6 inches (15 cm) deep and no more than 8 inches (20 cm) deep. The ideal width is 12 inches (30 cm). Strawberry hanging baskets that are spread out are always better than one big strawberry hanging basket.
- Finally, be sure to pick the right kind of strawberry plant for hanging baskets. Strawberry plants of the day-neutral varieties Tribute and Tristar will bear fruit no matter what time of year you plant them, as long as they get six hours of sun a day and are kept out of extreme heat and cold. It’s fine to plant strawberries that bear fruit in June, like AC Wendy, Annapolis, and Early Glow. For one big crop in early summer, you can grow Red Chief, Mesabi, Kent, and Galleta. But you have to start them early in the spring, or you won’t have strawberries all summer.
Recommended Planters and Supplies
To grow strawberry plants well in hanging baskets, there are a few things you should know about them.
- Strawberry plants love the sun. You can’t just plant your strawberries in a basket that you hang from a tree. Strawberry plants should have at least six to eight hours of full sun every day. If strawberry plants don’t get at least six hours of sun every day, they might not bear any fruit or the fruit they do bear will be small, watery, and sour.
- Strawberry plants love good drainage. They don’t need to be grown in soil because they love it when it drains well. In fact, sometimes it is better if they aren’t. There are fungi in the soil that land on your strawberry plants when it rains.
- Pests can really hurt strawberry plants that are planted in the ground. Beetles and grubs can live in the soil and eat the crowns of strawberry plants before they can send out runners. All of these problems can be avoided with soilless hanging baskets, which we will talk about in a bit. However, they need some extra planning.
- Strawberry plants love good air circulation. When strawberry plants are crowded together on the ground, they make pockets of damp air that the wind doesn’t move. When it stays cool and rainy for a long time, these little holes in your strawberry bed help a fuzzy gray mold grow, which can kill your crop. If you plant your strawberries in hanging baskets and give them enough water and fertilizer, they will grow lots of leaves, but there won’t be any still spots where fungus can grow.
If you want to grow strawberry plants at home, hanging baskets are the best way to do it. Now let’s take a step-by-step look at how to grow your strawberries plants in hanging baskets.
easy and quick way to grow strawberries hanging in plastic baskets for lots of fruit
FAQ
Can strawberries be grown in hanging baskets?
What variety of strawberries is best for hanging baskets?
Should I cut the runners off my hanging strawberry plant?
Will hanging strawberry plants come back?