How to Plant Whole Strawberries

By Paul Ramone

Strawberries are delicious rewards for those gardeners who take the time to properly plant and care for their gardens. After purchasing whole strawberry plants, they can easily be transplanted into your backyard to nurture and produce the fruits of your labor. Once the strawberries have been provided the proper location and nutrients, tend to them lovingly and stellar results can be expected for years.

Locate a spot in planting spot that receives roughly six to eight hours of direct sunlight.

Prepare the soil for the strawberries by incorporating peat moss, compost and manure into rich garden soil. For every 1 part of garden soil, add 1 part peat moss, 1 part compost and 2 parts manure.

Purchase strawberry plants that can handle the weather in your location. Popular and successful varieties include Earliglow, Cavendish and Allstar.

Trim the roots of the strawberry plants to 4 inches in length, then soak them in room temperature water two to three hours before they are planted.

Dig into the soil approximately 5 inches or enough to cover just the roots of the strawberry plants.

Place the plants into the soil, being sure to pack the soil down around the roots and keeping the crown above the ground. Space individual plants at least 2 feet apart. This will accommodate the growth of their large root systems.

Water the plants immediately so that the soil is damp. After the initial planting, water four to five times a week.

Cover the runners that grow off of the original plants with soil so they can produce further plants.

Plant the strawberries in the spring season, just after the last frost.

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