Growing Strawberries In Containers
While most everyone loves a strawberry patch, growing strawberries in containers can be a satisfactory alternative, when one has neither the space nor the inclination to put in a patch. Growing strawberries in containers can be quite easy, and not much more difficult than growing them in a patch or a raised bed. While the number of delicious berries you'll harvest may be somewhat smaller, you'll be surprised at the yield you can get from a strawberry container, if you do things right.
Types Of Containers - A strawberry container can be just about any type of a container, as long as it drains well. It can be a galvanized pail with holes punched in the bottom, a redwood planter box, a ceramic pot with a drain hole, a wire hanging basket stuffed with sphagnum moss, or one of several containers marketed as being especially suited for growing strawberries.
Growing strawberries in containers have an advantages of being able to move the plants around from place to place, if the containers aren't too large, as well as being able to grow them on a small patio or deck if you have no space available for a garden. A few bowls of strawberries from a container of plants you've been tending on the patio will seem to taste just that much better.
You can choose June-bearing strawberry plants, which usually give the biggest harvest, and in some cases the largest berries, but only give fruit once during the growing season. Another choice might be an evergreen type of strawberry which yields fruit twice, once in the spring, and again in the fall. There is a third type which produces berries throughout the growing season. This latter type could be a good choice if you have a fairly large container, as it might just keep you supplied with berries throughout the summer season. Even in those cases where the yield isn't large enough to feed a family of 10, picking and eating a single berry from time to time is in itself a pleasure.
Raid A Friend's Patch - In some climates you can plant strawberries most any time of the year, and of course they can always be started, usually from root divisions or rooted creepers, indoors if you wish. Once established, most varieties are quite hardy, and being perennials can take some pretty tough weather. If you have a friend or acquaintance who has a strawberry patch with the variety you think you can use, ask for a few plants, divide them, remove whatever old and dead leaves there may be, and stick them in your container. Aside from drainage and good soil, plus a monthly dose of fertilizer, the only thing you really have to watch for is to make certain the plants don't dry out. Strawberries planted in containers or hanging baskets can dry out fairly quickly, although specially designed strawberry containers often to a better job of holding in moisture.
The Traditional Strawberry Container - The traditional strawberry container, made of clay or terra cotta, is still one of the best choices. They are usually small enough to be moved around if necessary, or rotated periodically to make certain all the plants receive an equal amount of sunlight. These containers have pockets in the sides for half a dozen or more plants, depending upon the size of the container, plus room for two and maybe three plants on top. A problem we often had with this type of container was that there always seemed to be pockets with plants that either dried out quickly, or the soil would wash out when watering, giving the same result as far as the plant was concerned. It wasn't a big concern as most plants did fine, but still, one would like all of them grow and yield berries.
A Solution To “Dry Pockets” - A solution to this is to place a PVC pipe down the middle of the container, The pipe is capped at one end, the bottom end, cut off to extend just above soil level at the top of the container, and drilled full of holes, making certain that there are holes on all sides of the pipe. The entire container, including all of the pockets, can be watered by simply pouring water in the pipe. A clay container allows excess water to evaporate away. In any even, the strawberry is a thirsty plant, the berry itself being mostly water, so it will benefit from an efficient watering system.
A Hanging Bag - Another type of container is the Topsy Turvy container, somewhat like what has become very popular for growing tomatoes, hanging them upside down. The Topsy Turvy strawberry container doesn't hold the strawberries upside down, but is shaped more like a bag, and has holes in the sides in which the individual plants are placed. This would be a good solution to growing strawberries in containers if you don't have "floor space", and is probably better than a plain old hanging basket.